The good folk of Banff and Macduff can rest easy.
The recorded absence of the Chuff-Chuffs at last week’s match at Princess Royal Park was due to a family wedding and normal service was resumed at Kynoch Park for the Scottish Cup first round tie against Keith. I can reassure Vale supporters that they can look forward to the band returning for the next fixture.
Normal service was also resumed on the pitch as Locos ran out 5-1 winners against a weak Keith side. The poor standard of play in recent weeks from Forres, Deveronvale and Keith, three clubs who have won the Championship in recent years, is concerning. The gap between the top five or six clubs and the rest is widening.
On Saturday Keith looked a yard off the pace and that was before captain Stewart Hutcheon was red carded for a last man trip. Such dismissals so early in a match results in an imbalance to the contest before the game has settled and, on Saturday, that finished matters for Keith. There is no criticism whatsoever of referee Thomas Shaw. The decision was absolutely correct within the laws of the game. He had no other option.
Locos played reasonably well without being stretched. They had some problems with their penalties with Daniel Bell saving from both Andy Hunter (who was alert to force home the rebound) and Martin Bavidge, and getting a hand to David Ross’s strike which hit the back of the net. Bell is a good shot-stopper and perhaps his time at Locos gave him an insight into the penalty strikes.
Colin Charlesworth posed his usual menacing threat down the right and new signing Stephen Jeffrey was solid at the back. Mark Souter needs to realise he is of no use in the dressing room, although his dismissal allowed that man of many parts, Neil MacLean, to demonstrate his skills at centre-back. Surely the most versatile player in the Highland League!
The day was tinged with sadness, however, with the news that former midfield legend from Junior days, Ian Robertson, has died.
His father Arthur is the groundsman at Harlaw Park and everyone at Inverurie Loco. Works F.C. extend their sincere condolences to the Robertson family