Keith lose out in last Highland League fixture of 2023 as Scott Barbour brace fires Fraserburgh to victory
Keith found hosts Fraserburgh too slick as they ended the year with a defeat and a slump to second bottom in the league table.
The cause wasn’t helped with the absence of goalie Craig Reid, 18-year-old Connor Macleod making only his second senior appearance, Craig Gill and Murray Addison injured and Jordan Cooper recovering from a bout of flu.
The game marked a milestone for Kieran Yeats making his 100th competitive appearance for the Maroons.
Young Macleod was in action within a minute of kick off, pulling off a superb diving save to keep out a Scott Barbour netbound drive.
It was end-to-end after that until the 27th minute when a Barbour set up saw Ryan Sargent quickly flick the ball into the far corner of the net.
Nine minutes later the scoreline was doubled when dangerman Barbour crashed a bullet drive into the roof of the net from 16 yards.
Although the Maroons stuck manfully to the task against a strong headwind in the second half they fell further behind in the 62nd minute when Barbour pounced on a Wood cross to lash a 12 yarder into the roof of the net.
Three minutes later ex-Maroon Josh Bolton hit the bar with a 15-yarder with Macleod beaten, but the loose ball was eventually cleared.
This was always going to be a tough encounter, the Maroons haven’t beaten ‘Broch for years, but to their credit they gave their all, never giving up, just finding the Bellslea battlers too strong.
Keith: Macleod, Coull, Yeats, Morrison, Robertson, Killoh (McKeown 58), Wilson (Duncan 73), Brownie (Smith 86), Tough (Ironside 58), Taylor, Lynch. Sub: Cooper.
Ref: J Kennedy.