ROTHES 0 KEITH 3
Half-time - 0-1
Scorers - S Keith(45), C Keith 59), Phillips(63).
Keith's seven game no win league sequence came to an end last Saturday at MacKessack Park, when the Maroons eased past Rothes with a comfortable victory, and a clean sheet to boot reports Charlie Simpson.
The Maroons last lost a league match at that venue back in 1988, but more importantly it was back to winning ways and some of the walking wounded looking more able prior to the League Cup Final.
The Rothes cause maybe wasn't helped by the dismissal of player manager Frani More in the 63rd minute, but by that time his team was trailing by three goals.
Home goalie Grant Ferguson pulled off several saves in the first half, and the Maroons also had a handful of efforts agonizingly just wide of target. Notably in the 21st minute, Andy Macaskill watched as his low shot screwed inches past the post. A McNamee snap shot wasn't far away, then Cammy Keith scraped the foot of the post.
Three minutes from the break, a Macaskill rasper was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Ferguson as Keith constantly pressed. The deadlock was finally broken seconds from the interval when Sean KEITH sent a superb curling effort from out wide left into the far top corner for his 5th goal of the season.
Keith's stranglehold continued after the break, with Niddrie heading inches wide. Then, the score-line was doubled with 59 minutes on the clock. The 'keeper did well to jockey Cammy KEITH wide inside the penalty area, but the skipper wasn't to be denied as he stepped inside and whipped a low angled drive into the far corner for his 32nd goal of the season.
Four minutes later it was game over as Craig PHILLIPS, back in the frame following a bout of shingles, rose to send a downward header off Sean Keith's corner into the net. That sparked two moments of madness from Frani More who received two quickfire yellow cards for his pains.
Firmly in control, the Maroons kept pushing an a Niddrie header was cleared off the line, before Murray Kinnaird was forced to punch over a rising Massie 20 yarder in the 83rd minute. Three minutes later Jonny Smith sprang the offside trap but was foiled by the woodwork as his lob struck the top of the crossbar, with Andy Anderson rifling the loose ball inches past the foot of the post.
Not a dirty game by any means, Rothes also had Ewen, McPhee, Shortreed and M Dunn booked, with Keith's Zander jack also receiving a yellow card.
ROTHES - Ferguson, Fuller(Parley 79), Shortreed, Gallacher, McPhee, M Dunn, Massie, Ewen, More, McIntosh, S Dunn(Robison 53). Subs unused - Bowie, Shearer.
KEITH - Kinnaird, Jack, A Smith(Hutcheon 46), McNamee, Niddrie, Phillips, McCulloch(Raffell 73), A Macaskill, C Keith(Anderson 66), J Smith, S Keith. Subs unused - C Macaskill, Cook.
Referee - Mr M Kerrigan