Forres Mechanics 0 Keith 0: Draw "fair" says Keith boss
KEITH manager Craig Ewen said a draw was “fair” after a goalless stalemate with Forres Mechanics at Mosset Park on Saturday.
While a share of the spoils may have been the right result, it could have been a high-scoring one rather than the 0-0 fans witnessed, with chances aplenty for both sides.
Some poor finishing and good goalkeeping, though, ensured deadlock remained throughout.
Ewen, who was assistant manager at the Can-Cans for five years before taking the Keith job, said: “On reflection, I thought a draw was fair. Forres had a considerable amount of chances, but Keith also had a considerable amount of chances.
“At times, both teams played good stuff on the counter-attack but it’s just that decision making when we are getting into the right areas. The second half in particular was end-to-end, there was no quarter given and I was pleased with how we dealt with the physicality of Forres.
“We got into a position where we could have sat in and played for a 0-0 but that wasn’t our mentality. In the last 10 minutes we probably had the better chances.
“I’m delighted with the effort the boys put in – they gave their all from minute one to minute 90.
"It feels like there’s a bit of team spirit about them just now, they worked hard for each other.
“I’d have loved to have won, but I’m happy enough with a point. It was a hard-fought 0-0 and quite an entertaining one from a neutral perspective, I would have thought.”
The point was Keith’s first at Mosset Park since 2014, and means they have now kept five clean sheets in the eight games since Ewen took charge.
He added: “If you take that Buckie result out of things then, as a group, we are putting our bodies on the line and doing absolutely everything to keep the ball out the net via any means possible.
"I can only respect the boys for that. I’m quite disappointed we didn’t win on the chances we had but I’m quite realistic – Forres had plenty of chances as well so a draw was fair.”
Keith travel to Ewen’s home town of Banff for a clash with Deveronvale in the league on Wednesday night.
’Vale are coming into the match off the back of a 4-0 defeat at the hands of previously-winless Turriff United at the weekend.
“Knowing Craig (Vale boss Stewart) as I do, he won’t be taking that result kindly so he’ll certainly be looking for a reaction to that. We’ll have to put everything into it again. If I get that same effort and application as against Forres then we will see where it takes us.”
Saturday throws up another Moray derby for the Maroons, with the visit of newly-crowned North of Scotland Cup champions Rothes to Kynoch Park.