Turriff United draw with Keith after strong start
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Turriff United were unable to capitalise on their lead against Keith on Saturday which ended in a 1-1 draw.
United had a strong start in the Highland League match at The Haughs but could not score in the first half.
The hosts got their goal early after the break with striker Aaron Reid blasting his effort home.
However, Keith got back into the game and substitute Przemyslaw Nawrocki scored with his first touches of the ball.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Luke Emmett was sent off, however, Turriff could not make the extra player count.
In the first half the home side fired a ball into the box which was collected by Owen Kinsella in a good position. He got an effort away but it was saved by Keith keeper Craig Reid.
A Turriff corner from Jordan Cooper was sent into to Aaron Reid and his header was wide of the post.
The hosts then had a penalty shout for a challenge on Aaron Reid which was not given by referee Scott Donohoe.
United were applying the pressure to get the opening goal and a ball was played to Jack McKenzie who was through, however, Craig Reid blocked the shot.
Another corner for the home side from Cooper found the head of Kinsella who could not guide the ball into the net.
Turriff had another penalty claim for a tackle on Aaron Reid, which was also waved away.
At the other end Keith had a corner but there were no takers in the box and the ball went out of play.
Kinsella came close for the hosts with a shot in the away side's box which just scraped by the post.
McKenzie then had a chance for United, however, his effort went over the crossbar.
A cross from Keith was delivered to Connor Killoh who could not get anything on it and the opportunity was squandered.
Just before the break, James Brownie skewed his shot wide of the target as the visitors threatened again.
United were lively at the start of the second half and a corner was swung into Keir Smith whose header was over the bar.
The hosts then opened the scoring when Aaron Reid was played in and he powered his shot past the Keith keeper.
Turriff had the ball in the net again when a Smith free-kick was saved by Craig Reid and Cooper latched on to a loose ball afterwards and netted, however, it was disallowed by the referee.
Nawrocki then came on for the visitors and made an immediate impact. With his first touches of the ball he made a good run and scored to equalise.
A corner from Keith was fired into Nawrocki whose header was saved by Turriff goalkeeper David Dey.
The away side were then reduced to 10 men when a collision between Emmett and Aaron Reid saw the former receive a red card and the latter was cautioned.
It was a frantic finish to the game as both teams looked for the winner. United thought they had it with the last play of the match when a free-kick was played to Smith but his header did not hit the target.
Turriff United assistant manager Jamie Lennox said: "It was a disappointing result. Overall we created the better chances in the game but we were just flat and I can't put my finger on why that was.
"We started the season really well against Huntly and gave a good account of ourselves up at Brora.
"It was maybe the expectation. Nothing seemed to click for us and we knew Keith would come and work hard like they did to make it difficult for us. We just didn't really have the answers.
"We had good chances through Ewan Clark and Jack McKenzie. Aaron Reid scored early in the second half and I thought we would kick on from there.
"However, we were slack in the middle of the park, we lost the ball and we found ourselves at 1-1.
"They had a man sent off and we were then forcing things in the last 10 to 15 minutes trying to get a winner.
"We reduced them to minimal chances and they didn't have too many clear cut opportunities, which was good for the back four.
"But in the final third we were just found wanting, the wingers were not getting involved as much as we wanted and the strikers were lacking a little bit of quality.
"We have taken four points from the first three games, which is a positive considering how long it took to put points on the board last season. We are going in the right direction."
