Keith 2 v Luncarty 5

MAROONS CRASH AT FIRST HURDLE

If you don’t turn up, you don’t win, simple as that. Keith, with a Scottish Cup pedigree stretching back 97 years and 68 national games under their belts, were almost contemptuosly swept aside by East of Scotland Premier League bottom dogs Luncarty, playing in their first ever Scottish Cup tie.

The Maroons were never at the races from start to finish and as a result, the men from Perth left Kynoch Park with their small band of fans singing their praises.

The visitors forced four corners in the opening 12 minutes before Michael Taylor should have headed Keith into the lead. It was no surprise when “The Bleachers” opened the scoring in the 28thminute through Kyle Woolley. Seven minutes later though it was all square when a lung bursting Gavin Elphinstone run saw the Keith buzzbomb brought down inside the box. He dusted himself down and sent the goalie the wrong way to convert the resultant spot kick.

Luncarty regained the lead four minutes from half-time when Craig Reid, in sparkling form of late, failed to keep out a Kyle Green 20 yarder. Two minutes after the half time cuppa, Taylor missed the target with a diving header and within two minutes at the other end the visitors earned their own penalty. Reid pulled off a fine save to parry away Rhys Davies’ effort, but the striker reacted quickly to send the loose ball home with a diving header.

That was game over to be perfectly honest, and on the hour mark it got worse when Green nabbed his second, capitalising on defensive slackness. Jordan Cooper did grab a small crumb of comfort with ten minutes remaining, but then in stoppage time Keith’s day of misery was compounded when Craig Mitchell gleefully lashed the ball into the roof of the net.

KEITH – Reid, Ironside (McKeown 62), Yeats (Tough 73), Addison, Robertson, Gill (Killoh 80), Elphinstone, Brownie, Cooper, Taylor (Wilson 73), Lynch (Duncan 62). Subs unused – Cheyne, Morrison, MacLeod.

Referee – Mr R Kennedy.

Saturday 23rd September 2023, KO 3pm

Report by Charlie Simpson