Close
Locos took maximum points at Kynoch Park from a game that both teams may feel slightly frustrated by. The hosts left the field feeling that they could have got a point from the encounter while Locos knew that they should have had the pints sewn up before Gavin Elphinstone’s late header set up a tense finish.
There was little goal mouth action before Sam Robertson opened the scoring on 13 minutes. The chance appeared to have gone as the ball went across the area but Logan Johnstone did well to win it back and advance into the box. His shot was blocked but the ball fell kindly for Sam Robertson who lashed it into the roof of the net.
Locos then began to impose themselves a bit more with Jay Halliday and Mark Souter both firing wide from distance. Keith did have some decent spells of possession but were unable to test Andy Reid and the Railwaymen doubled their lead on the stroke of half time. Souter headed Jamie Michie’s corner into a crowded six yard box. David Wilson may well have been trying to create a shooting opportunity for himself but his touch found Johnny Smith who had the simplest of finishes.
The game continued to be a tight affair after the break and the home side halved the deficit early in the second half, Matthew Tough heading in just under the bar after a cross to the far post had been nodded back to him.
The renewed hope that the goal gave the home fans lasted just a few minutes when Michie’s corner was played to substitute Calum Dingwall on the edge of the box and his shot was deflected past the goalkeeper by Kieran Yeats. Both teams continued press for more goals with a James Brownie effort not far over for the hosts before Wilson was called upon to clear from the line after Reid’s punch had fallen to Kieran Mooney.
At the other end Locos had chances to put the game to bed. Dingwall volley over the bar and Craig Reid saved superbly to deny Smith a second goal. A Michie free kick from the right found Wilson at the back post but he was unable to direct his header on goal.
The game was becoming stretched as Keith pushed to get back into the game and Nathan Meres was causing a lot of problems on the break, twice running from his own half into the opponents penalty area but failing to find the finish.
Crosses into the box from the home team were become a regular threat and with seven minutes remaining Elphinstone glanced a corner from the left beyond Reid to set Locos fans on edge. Meres dragged wide from another break as Locos held all to take all three points.
Despite five goals in the game, both teams will feel that tally could have been higher with a little more precision in the final third. The pitch didn’t help but, to their credit, both sides tried to keep the ball down and play. Andy Low will be pleased that his players have responded to the League Cup final disappointment with two wins. Locos play their final game of the season at in-form Formartine United next Saturday.
Keith: C Reid, Killoh, Murray, Yunis, Addison, Yeats, Elphinstone, Brownie, Tough (Hutcheon), Ironside (Mooney), Duncan (Wilson) Unused Subs: Cumming, E Smith, R Robertson, Cook
Locos: A Reid, Souter, Johnstone (Dingwall), S Robertson, J Smith, Halliday (Meres), Burnett, Wilson, Michie, Buchan, L Robertson (Anderson) Unused Subs: T Reid, Ward, B Smith, Farquhar
