Sat 17 November 2007 Scot Ads Highland league

Buckie Thistle 1(Macrae 3)  Keith 1 (Donaldson 5,pen.)  

This was a pretty tight encounter, where the visitors equalised Thistle's early strike with a controversial penalty award, another penalty claim by the visitors was turned down, then Thistle hit the woodwork with Shearer well beaten, twice.

Manager Duncan Shearer conceded that a draw was probably the fairest result, but was at pains to praise his players, "I suppose that at the end of the day, we have to accept a point after a tough contest, but people should remember that we had to line up today against the Champions, one of the better sides around, with only a couple of days' rest following a gruelling midweek Cup Final."

He continued, adding "It would have been better had we taken all three points, but if one side had snatched it with a late goal, it would have been unfair, as it was end to end, thrilling stuff, a great advert for the Highland League."

His opposite number, Martin Allan reluctantly agreed with the Buckie manager, commenting "There weren't many clear cut chances for us, but we leave here with a point, one more than we did last season, so I suppose it's a decent result for us and I'm happy with our players' performance."

The match got off to a rip roaring start, with Buckie taking a third minute lead, when DAVID MACRAE continued to repay his transfer fee with a crisp, 10 yard finish, after Mike Macdonald and Stephen Bruce had combined in a fluid move down the left, to set him up.

Buckie's fans had hardly stopped cheering, when Mr McDermott indicated a spot kick, having adjudged kevin Small to have handled a cross from the Keith right flank, inside the Jags' box, although it didn't appear that there had been any intent to handle.

No matter, DEAN DONALDSON slotted home the "elf metre", as they say in Munich, in text book fashion, sending Kev Main the wrong way as the ball fizzed into the bottom left corner of the net.

Shearer's area was fairly under seige as the jags pushed hard for a second goal to regain their lost lead, but Stephen "Marra" Bruce, Mike Macdonald, Lewis MacKinnon and Craig MacMillan all saw efforts flash narroly wide of the charmed Keith goal.

In 32 minutes, a Craig MacMillan shot seemed a certain goal, but at the last minute, the ball curled onto Shearer's crossbar and was sent behind from the rebound for a corner, by a greatly relieved visiting defender.

At the other end, Kev Main needed all his wits about him, as a deflected shot from Darren Still threatened to creep inside his left hand post, but he meneged to smother the ball on his goal-line.

Four minutes after the interval, an effort by MacMillan was parried onto his post and behind for another Jags flag kick, by Shearer, who was, over the piece the far busier 'keeper.

As the mid point of the second half approached, former Lossie striker, Craig Morrison was denied by a last ditch challenge from "Captain Fantastic", a.k.a. Kevin Small, when a goal seemed likely, then a minute later, the same Keith player was through, but shot over the bar, as Kev Main stood his ground.

For all that, Thistle still seemed to hold the whip hand and continued to take the game to the visitors, but to no avail, although MacMillan again came close, with a header, which saw the ball hit the side netting.

All in all, as the managers commented, probably a fair result, which crucially means that the double figure points differential between the sides remains that, although the Kynoch men have three games in hand.

Buckie Thistle line-up: Main, Neill, Duncan, MacKinnon, Matheson, Small, Macdonald(A Low80), Macrae, Bruce, MacMillan, Stewart(N Davidson15). Not used: Angus, Shewan, Hamilton.

Keith lineup: Shearer, Watt, Niddrie, Nicol, Still, MacKay, Morrison(Lennox80), Donaldson, Walker, Perry, Wood. Not used: Lonie, Somers, Fyfe, Cheyne.

Referee: Mr C McDermott