Half-time - 1-1

Scorers - Forres Mechanics - Barron(10).

Keith - Anderson(45).

19 year old goalkeeper Murray Kinnaird was the Keith hero last Saturday, pulling off two terrific saves in the penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes of open play failed to separate the Maroons and league leaders Forres Mechanics at Mosset Park, to put his side into their 22nd Highland League Cup semi-final reports Charlie Simpson.

A brave, battling display against the team now most likely to win the championship, earned Keith a visit to Buckie Thistle in the last four, and this was just rewards with Keith remarkably having won in Forres' own back yard in each of the last three seasons.

Forres are a big, strong outfit, and have made Mosset Park an impregnable place for visitors, but Keith, still with several key personnel missing, took them all the way down to the wire, and when it came the penalty kick shoot-out, the Keith lads were simply immense.  Murray Kinnaird superbly kept out the efforts from Simon Allan and Scott Moore, but was beaten by Willie Barron, Nathan Sharp and Matt Davidson.  Keith's spot kick heroes were Cammy Keith, Dean Donaldson, and Andy McAskill, before Craig McGovern unluckily skied his effort over the bar.  That left super cool defender Odmar Faeroe to calmly step up and crash his award into the roof the net much to the delight of his team-mates and the travelling support.

There were chances at either end in the opening stages with Kinnaird tipping over an Allan free kick, and in response Donaldson sent a diving header inches past the post.  The deadlock was broken in the 10th minute when the ball flew about in the danger area and Willie BARRON pounced to ram his side in front from 8 yards.

Keith's response was a net bound Donaldson 25 yarder which was brilliantly pawed away by Knight, the goalie quickly gathering the loose ball.  The Maroons were taking the game to the league leaders in a positive manner, and Donaldson headed over the bar from 8 yards.  Six minutes from the interval, Cammy Keith chested down the ball and fired a whisker past the foot of the far post, as the visitors got nearer and nearer.

The breakthrough came just as the referee was thinking about his half-time cuppa.  Forres failed to clear a McAskill corner and 18 year old Andy ANDERSON, a constant threat, pounced to blast the ball into the roof of the net for his 8th goal of the season, GAME ON!

The second half was played at the same pace, with keith possibly looking the more likely to edge ahead.  Mind you, young Kinnaird did well to race out of his charge to thwart Barron who was racing into the danger area.  In retaliation, a rising Donaldson drive cleared the bar by a foot, then a spell of visiting pressure seemed to have done the trick.  with 76 minutes on the clock a sweeping move ended with Anderson whipping a cross right across the penalty area, Cammy Keith gathered and rifled into the corner of the net, only for the stand-side official to flag for offside, but it must have been a very close call!

Anyway, the tie went into the extra-time and the Maroons didn't flag one iota.  Indeed, they almost snatched the lead when Cammy Keith got on the end of a cross, but his downward header didn't possess enough power.

As the penalty kick scenario loomed there was an unfortunate clash of heads between Neil Whyte and Graham Lonie, completely accidental, but resulting in thye former returning ot the fray with a bandaged head, and the latter having to be subsituted.  Then in the final minute of open play young Anderson, who had been an absolute giant for the Maroons all afternoon had to be stretchered off following a blocked tackle on the halfway line, with what appeared to be a knee injury.

So to the nailbiting penalty shoot-out, with Keith, record nine times winners of the League Cup, having another Final appearance in their sights, but with the most dangerous hurdle of Buckie Thistle in their own back yard to overcome first!

FORRES MECHANICS - Knight, Fraser, Allan, Grant, Sharp, McPherson, Whyte, Duguid(Green 87), Ross(Davidson 75), McNab(Moore 65), Barron.  Subs unused - Bremner, Main.

KEITH - Kinnaird, Walker(Phillips 80), Lonie(Raffell 117), Faeroe, Niddrie, McNamee, Donaldson, McAskill, C Keith, Anderson(Fowlie 119), McGovern.  Subs unused - Morrison, Shearer.

Referee - Mr R Milne.