(12/03/2022 – BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE, KYNOCH PARK, KEITH)
Lossiemouth make the trip east to face the Maroons of Keith at The Maroonery this coming weekend. Keith and Lossie have rarely been separated by more than a couple of points this season, and the Coasters head to Keith looking to complete a league double against the Shire strugglers. The Maroons have endured a chaotic season, shipping ten (count ’em!) in one afternoon to Buckie Thistle early in the season before stablising, but have reverted to their leaky ways of old just in time to host Lossie, allowing Buckie to rattle in another half dozen without reply in midweek.
LEAGUE FORM (MOST RECENT RESULT FIRST)…
LOSSIEMOUTH – WLLLWW, GF 10, GA 15; LEAGUE POSITION – 13th
After three defeats in a row, Lossie returned to winning ways with a comfortable win against Fort William at the weekend, about which you can read here. Goals from Ross Archibald, Dean Stewart and Niall Kennedy sent Lossie on their way to the points as Fort lost at Grant Park for the third time this season.
KEITH – LLLLWW, GF 5, GA 21; LEAGUE POSITION – 14th
Three wins in a row against Strathspey Thistle, Clachnacuddin and Turriff United earlier this year gave Keith hope of a mid-table finish earlier but the Maroons have since reverted to the form seen in the opening weeks of the season. Four losses on the spin have seen them slump back down the table, with Keith conceding 17 goals across three games against Brechin, Fraserburgh and Buckie in the space of a week, without a single goal scored. The Maroons have produced a few results comparable with Lossie this season – draws with Forres and Inverurie, a home win against Wick, and a league double over Turriff – so it’s no surprise the two are adjacent in the table, with Lossie a point above Keith having played two games more.
EARLIER THIS SEASON…
11/09/2021 – Lossiemouth 2-0 Keith – Match report – Match photos
The two sides locked horns early in the season, and Keith turned in a surprisingly insipid performance to lose to a Lossie side that rarely got out of first gear. Dean Stewart scored the opener after two minutes and an hour later Ross Morrison added a second to kill off a Keith side that would have been as well not showing up for all the influence they had on the game.
LAST TIME AT KYNOCH PARK…
02/03/2019 – Keith 4-4 Lossiemouth
It’s been a long time since Lossie made the trip to Keith, with the upcoming game already a holdover from winter. No trip was on the fixture list in the 2020/21 season, and the 2019/20 season drew to an abrupt halt just days before Lossie were scheduled to visit Kynoch Park. The last meeting was a little over three years ago, and served up more than enough drama to keep everyone talking for some time. Lossie roared into a three-goal lead inside of half an hour courtesy of goals from Ryan Sewell, Fraser Forbes and Ryan Stuart – with Forbes having another disallowed – only to reach the final minutes trailing 4-3 to their ten-man hosts. A penalty award to the Coasters offered James McLaren the chance to salvage a point, and mercifully he did.
LAST SIX LEAGUE GAMES AT KYNOCH PARK
30/09/2017 – Keith 3-3 Lossiemouth
17/09/2016 – Keith 4-1 Lossiemouth
16/04/2016 – Keith 4-2 Lossiemouth
08/04/2015 – Keith 1-0 Lossiemouth
19/10/2013 – Keith 5-2 Lossiemouth
09/02/2013 – Keith 3-4 Lossiemouth
The above pair of draws leaves Lossie on a two-game undefeated streak at The Maroonery for the first time since winning two on the spin without conceding in 1993. Wins have been a little harder to come by since then, with Lossie winning just four times (1996, 2001, 2004 and 2013).
WAY BACK WHEN…
04/12/2004- Keith 0-3 Lossiemouth – Match Report
Christmas Lights night in Lossie was all the brighter after Lossie unplugged the Maroons at Kynoch Park. Kenny McKenzie saw a second-minute penalty saved by Steve Dunn, and McKenzie did his former side a favour by scuffing the rebound wide of the post. Goals from Shawn Scott, Steven Ellis and Darren Shalliker (penalty) landed Lossie all three points as Andy Shearer kept the score down for the Maroons.
TOP SCORERS…
Ryan Stuart and Dean Stewart lead the way for Lossie with five goals each, while Przemyslaw Nawrocki has eight for the Maroons, the last of which came in November. Lossie have failed to score in 11 of 28 league games, while Keith have drawn a blank in 13 of 26, including their first four games of the season, their most recent three, and when they last met Lossie.
ON THE DAY…
Door tax is £10, or £5 concession. You can get your tickets ahead of time or pay at the gate.
SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM PREDICTION…
If it’s goalless, I’ll eat every hat in my wardrobe.