Brechin City extended their winning run to six games to keep up the pressure on the teams above them in the Highland League table after defeating Strathspey Thistle by 3-1 at Seafield Park.
Despite this victory, it was an uninspiring and lethargic performance from the Glebe Park men while the Strathy Jags can consider themselves extremely unfortunate not to have taken anything from the match.
City started well and grabbed the lead after nine minutes with a close-range Euan Loudon finish but Strathspey got themselves right back into contention ten minutes later when Ross Logan showed great perseverance to slot the ball past City keeper Iain Ross and for the remainder of the half it was the hosts who looked the livelier side.
City had a chance to grab the advantage just five minutes into the second-half when substitute David Cox was impeded in the box but home keeper Robert Donaldson saved Marc Scott’s spot-kick.
However, Loudon grabbed his second goal just on the hour mark to restore the visitors lead.
There then followed an on-pitch altercation in which several players were involved which resulted in Strathspey coach Steven Rattray being red-carded by referee Kevin Buchanan while City players Cox, Iain Davidson and Jamie Bain were booked for their part in the incident.
City went on to clinch all three points with quarter of an hour remaining when Cox fired home a great drive from 15 yards which gave Donaldson no chance.
City boss Andy Kirk was clearly disappointed with his side’s performance despite their win.
“At the end of the day it was three points and a victory and I’m trying to be as positive as I can because it was a very poor performance,” he said.
“We started well and grabbed the opening goal but thereafter we got so slack.
“We were late at getting to second balls, we weren’t winning first contacts and it wasn’t the type of performance we were expecting in terms of energy, enthusiasm and effort.
“We got a bit of a reaction in the second-half but overall, very disappointed with our performance despite the win.”
Strathspey boss Charlie Brown said: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result.
“The lads are in there extremely frustrated that they didn’t take anything from the match because they gave a very good account of themselves.
“I thought that some of the decisions today went against us but you don’t get the breaks when you’re in the position we’re in and that’s been the story for us over the past few weeks.”
Formartine 4-0 Keith
Two early goals inside the opening 15 minutes set the scene for a comfortable win for Formartine at North Lodge Park, consigning visitors Keith to a sixth successive league defeat into the bargain.
Formartine’s club captain and caretaker manager Stuart Anderson was delighted.
He said: “I thought we were really good in spells.
“The boys did exactly what I had asked of them in terms of how I wanted them to play.
“The attitude was there and there were some good individual performances as well, though it is a team game, and they were all at it.
“We didn’t drop off at 2-0 and kept at it as a two goal lead can be funny.”
The Maroons have had the unfortunate habit of losing early goals in recent outings and they were trailing by two goals inside the first 11 minutes.
Formartine opened the scoring after only four minutes when the visitors failed to clear and former Keith striker Jonny Smith reacted amidst a ruck of players to scramble home from eight yards.
It was 2-0 in the 11th minute when the ball was fired across the six yard box and the unfortunate Kieran Yeats sliced it into the roof of his own net.
Although the Maroons fought back into the game, they failed to put the home goalie under any pressure and they were stung with 32 minutes played when Aaron Yeats sent a fine looping header into the roof of the net.
Keith stuck to their task in the second half without causing too much of a goal threat and lost an unfortunate fourth in the 64th minute.
A drop ball was awarded in the middle of the park after it had hit the referee, and in the ensuing play James Brownie lost out and Scott Lisle raced through to slot past Balint Demus.
@breedongroup SHFL 2021/22 Match @FormartineUtd Vs @KeithFC
Today’s Teams: pic.twitter.com/VpU46it0cH
— Formartine United FC (@FormartineUtd) March 19, 2022
Keith manager Craig Ewen said: “Unfortunately again we have had a poor start, the first goal I’m not even sure if it was a proper shot and three of the four goals were probably individual errors.
“I thought we played quite well in the second half, but we are in difficult run just now, and got beaten by the better side.
“We need to break the cycle and win a game. It is tough to take just now.”