Andy Kirk praised Brechin City for taking the Breedon Highland League title race to the final day of the season.
The Hedgemen beat Keith 2-0 at Kynoch Park to move a point behind leaders Buckie Thistle ahead of the top two meeting at Victoria Park on Saturday.
Had Brechin been beaten by Keith their championship challenge would have been over.
Boss Kirk said: “It’s down to the last game now and that’s what we hoped we would get it to.
“We had to do a job to get there and we’ve managed to do that.
“Now we’ll get ready for what will be a tough game.
“I was pleased with the performance, especially first half, I thought we controlled things.
“Second half we maybe didn’t quite hit the levels we’d been at which was understandable, Keith put a little bit more pressure on.
“Although I didn’t feel like we were in much trouble, they didn’t create too much.
“I’m delighted with the boys, the attitude’s fantastic and the level of performance, especially first half, was really good.”
Early problems for Maroons
Keith were dealt a blow after quarter of an hour when Joey Wilson was stretchered off with suspected ankle ligament damage.
In the 29th minute Maroons manager Craig Ewen was sent off by referee Duncan Nicolson having disagreed with a decision, with the whistler brandishing his yellow card twice in the space of 10 seconds.
A minute later Brechin broke the deadlock. Anthony McDonald and Kevin McHattie had earlier been thwarted by home goalkeeper Craig Reid, but on this occasion Botti Biabi skipped down the right before picking out Fraser MacLeod with his cross and the midfielder found the bottom right corner from 15 yards.
The Maroons responded well with Matthew Tough meeting Gavin Elphinstone’s right-wing cross, but the striker’s header was off target.
At the other end Reid made a smart block from Grady McGrath, then Tough headed over another inviting Elphinstone delivery on the stroke of half-time.
The second period was a cagier affair. Brechin sub Ewan Loudon pulled an effort wide and Keith’s Ewan Murray tested visiting goalkeeper Lenny Wilson with a drive from 25 yards.
But just as the Maroons were looking to increase the pressure in their search for an equaliser they conceded a second goal in the 79th minute.
Murray was short with a back-pass to Reid which allowed McGrath in on the right and his ball across was eventually collected by Loudon, who blasted home from 14 yards.
Second goal proves to be costly
Keith assistant manager Chris Craib said: “They got a goal at a good time which knocked the stuffing out of us a wee bit.
“In the second half I thought we put their centre-halves under pressure and they didn’t like it.
“We got good crosses into the area and we thought we could nick a goal but then we made an error for the second goal which killed the game.”
On Wilson’s injury and Ewen’s dismissal, Craib added: “Joey was taken to hospital in Aberdeen, they think it’s ankle ligaments.
“He’s struggling to walk, but he was taken in a car to Aberdeen and we’ll find out more in the next 24 hours.
“With Craig it was a bit of frustration overflowed and there was a bit of chit-chat back and forth and the second yellow card came out very quickly.”