We may be in the lower reaches of the Highland League just now, but I tell you what, Keith must be the most consistent side over the last three seasons.
Has the boy lost his marbles I can hear everybody thinking, but well no not quite, because for the third successive season the Maroons have finished in 14th place in the table.
There is good news and bad news for those of a Maroon persuasion I would suggest. The bad news first – we notched up our least number of league wins in a season for over 60 years, and nearly lost 100 goals into the bargain.
The good news though outweighs the bad news – the management team of Gordon Winton and Jim Stables are now clearly stamping their own style and vision on the squad – several of the young lads brought in last season are beginning to flourish, and the new recruits they have brought to Kynoch Park during the past seven months have made their mark. The flood of goals being lost has been stemmed with Grant Mitchell and Michael Dunn forming a respectable defensive partnership.
Behind them, 17-year-old David Dey has been in goals in the absence of the injured Daniel Bell, and he has belied his teenage years with a string of super saves.
In midfield another 17-year-old Hamish Ritchie notched his first senior goal against Wick on Saturday, one for the family scrapbook methinks – his great grandfather Jock Whitecross played for the Maroons in the 1920’s and the 1930’s.
If the club can get in one or two of the players on the management team’s summer shopping list that would be another boost in a bid to start climbing up the league table – maybe another midfielder and a bit of experienced support or striking partner for the prolific goal ace Michael Ewen.
Something not heard of for many, many years either, is the number of local lads in the first team squad. As the season was drawing to a close, no fewer than five players were included
We are never going to be able to compete financially with the six or seven clubs that spend heavily, but the group just below that is very much attainable at the moment – that’s not defeatist, it’s realistic – but remember we have won the Highland League title seven times and the Highland League Cup ten times, more than anybody EVER – and have a long and proud history.