Pictures and report: Keith Football Club triumph in 2600th Highland League milestone match as Matty Tough's header sees off Clachnacuddin in Inverness
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This was a hard-fought, but deserved victory for Keith in what was a landmark game.
Saturday's visit to Clach was the 180th league encounter between the sides, and also the Maroons’ 2600th Highland League match stretching back to 1924.
Although Craig Ewen’s men maybe didn’t play at their best, they battled away, creating chances and with a team spirit that is now evident, Matty Tough’s header with 11 minutes remaining, sealed another precious three points.
In a goal-less first half, Scotty Gray had a flicking header saved, and Kieran Mooney had a shot beaten away, before the Lily Whites had six shots off target.
Four minutes after the break MacGregor sent James Brownie sprawling inside the penalty area, but no award was given.
Mooney and Tough both went close with further shots, whilst the former was sent flying on the edge of the box by the Clach goalie Martin Mackinnon.
Keith’s loanee goalie Balint Demus was then called into action, dealing confidently with a James Anderson effort, then hoofed away an Alasdair Gillies drive.
Keith began to press after that and with 79 minutes on the clock, the deadlock was broken.
A well-flighted Michael Selfridge corner saw the eager beaver Tough force his way in at the back post to head into the roof of the net.
Two minutes later the visitors had a second penalty appeal turned down when there appeared to be handball inside the area.
As Clach fought to get something out of the game, affairs got a bit teethy and the referee flashed his yellow card no fewer than six times in the final few minutes.
Keith team: Demus, Thomas, Yeats, Abdulkarim, Robertson, Yunus, Mooney (Ironside 75), Brownie, Tough, Gray (Emmett 79), Selfridge (Hutcheon 88).
Subs unused – McKeown, Strachan, Irvine.
Referee: Billy Baxter.
