Deveronvale's last visit to Kynoch Park was a very memorable one for all the right reasons but I'm sure Saturdays will be just as unforgettable for the Banffers as they slumped to their second defeat in a matter of days.
Alan Freeland, the referee who chalked off Jamie Watt's goal during the title decider at Fraserburgh two years ago and denied Vale a strong claim for a penalty, was yet again involved in controversy when not only did he sent off Paul Urquhart after just eight minutes for apparently swearing but denied Vale a stone-wall penalty kick on the stroke of half-time. To make matters worse the man in the middle turned the game on its head five minutes from time by awarding Keith a very soft award which allowed Keith back into the game, which they went on to win deep into injury time. To cap Vale's miserable day Mark Chisholm was also red carded after picking up two bookings, the second of which has everyone including 'Chis' himself totally baffled over and reporting Ross Bremner on the final whistle for aggressive behaviour.
Freeland, a Grade One official, also appeared to book Mike McKenzie twice during an absorbing second forty-five but failed to send him off!

Vale travelled to Kynoch Park looking to bounce back from Wednesday's Cup final defeat but got off to the worst possible start when they fell behind as early as the second minute. But the League Champions responded brilliantly sixty seconds later when Barrie Stephen equalised from close range. Ex-Vale striker Graeme Cadger gave the home side an interval lead but again Barrie Stephen cancelled out Keith's advantage with his second of the afternoon.
The magnificent Robbie Brown thought he had won it for Vale when he stabbed home but enter Freeland who punished Chisholm for an apparent pull of the jersey inside the penalty area and Darren Still rubbed some real salt into the nine-man Vale side when he sent a beauty past Bremner three minutes into stoppage time.
Keith got themselves off to the perfect start in the early kicked off match when the Vale defence failed to deal with Niddrie's front-post flick-on and Smith had the easiest of jobs of tapping-in at the back stick.
To the Banffer's credit they went straight up the other end and equalised. Mike McKenzie centred from the right and the red-hot Barrie STEPHEN swept the ball past Shearer from 8-yards out.

Keith almost scored again on their next attack but Bremner did well to block Smith's effort for a fruitless corner.
The visitors were dealt a major blow in the eighth minute when referee Freeland showed Paul Urquhart a red card for apparently swearing in frustration, although the man in black did the midfielder no favours by awarding Keith a throw-in when he was clearly taken from behind and Vale should have been awarded a freekick.
Freeland felt the wrath of the large Vale following again minutes later when he firstly awarded Keith a freekick and then on realising his mistake changed his mind when clearly Dlugonski had been fouled by Cadger.
Brown was denied a certain goal by a great piece of defending from Niddrie after good work from Stuart Gray on the right flank. Bremner then dropped a Morrison deep ball onto the penalty spot but Dlugonski saved the big keeper's blushes when he deflected Smith's effort over the top.
Cadger put the home side back in front when he headed past Bremner from 10-yards with the Vale defence posted missing following a Donaldson cross from the right.

Still then drove inches over as Keith powered their way through the ten-men's ragged looking midfield. Steve Dolan's freekick carried little threat to Shearer's goal but at least it was on target as the Banff side tried to get back into the match. Vale's strike force of McKenzie and Stephen combined well to set up a chance for the latter but this time Shearer did earn his corn with a good save low down at his near post.

On the stroke of half-time Barrie Stephen caught Shearer napping when he ran onto a harmless looking ball into the Keith box and as the lightening quick striker nipped the ball away from the grasp of the Keith number one he fell to the deck with loud shouts of penalty from the visiting support. However Freeland, who was far too far away from play in any case, waved play on indicating that the keeper had got something on the ball, how he could tell only he knows but the Banffers certainly felt hard done by the official yet again.

The visitors made a promising start to the second period and forced a couple of corners but it was Keith's breakaway that almost lead to a goal. McKenzie was penalised for handling and as the home side drove upfield Nicol planted a ball past Bremner but also a yard past the post, much to the relief of the angry Vale support.
An identical incident a minute later almost cost Vale again when Still ran all of sixty yards with the ball only to fail at the final hurdle by placing the ball past the upright from 16-yards with only Bremner to beat.
Keith were made to pay for those missed chances when the visitors pulled level. McKenzie made good progress into the left side of the 18-yard box before providing a low cross across which Barrie STEPHEN turned past Shearer from close range.
Stephen who was now on fire almost put his side into the lead five minutes later but Shearer made the save at the second attempt following some determined play from Chisholm.
Vale were working extremely hard with Robbie Brown showing some real grit and determination in the engine room and the flame -haired midfielder almost snatched the lead for his side when he unleashed a drive which was only a foot or so over after some neat play by Mike McKenzie. Barrie Stephen also came close for the visitors before they took a deserved lead.
A short Dolan freekick to danger-man Mike McKenzie was only parried by Shearer and Robbie BROWN got the goal his hard work deserved when he stabbed home from close range. Bremner was forced into a fine save from Still, who was starting to boss the midfield against the ten-men and push his colleagues on for an equaliser.
Morrison in his eagerness to get on with the game wrestled Stephen to the ground looking for the ball but Freeland wasn't interested and elected not to punish the veteran defender for his over enthusiastic endeavours.

Cadger's looping header was saved under his own crossbar by Bremner as the Vale fans held their breath.
Gregg Carrol replaced both Stephens with Darren McAllister and Terry Kidd as Vale understandably started to tire as time wore on.
With only five minutes of normal time remaining referee Freeland dealt brave Vale a cruel blow when he pointed to the spot for an infringement by Chisholm on Smith although the player didn't even seem to claim for it. Robertson crashed home the resultant penalty under Bremner to square the match, three a-piece.

As the fans looked at their watches and time was ticking away Freeland sent Chisholm for an early bath for his second yellow apparently for something he said leaving the visitors with only nine men, although the referee had already played two minutes of a half in which there were no injuries! Three minutes into Freeland's four minutes of stoppage time Darren Still silenced the noisy away support with a magnificent strike into the top left-hand corner to win the match after he had side stepped Terry Kidd 20-yards from goal.

Ugly scenes were witnessed at full-time as Vale boss Gregg Caroll vented his anger at referee Freeland and loud shouts of cheat rang around the ground.
To round off a very disappointing afternoon Vale were replaced at the top of the Highland League by Inverness Clachnacuddin who defeated Fort William by three goals to nil.

Gregg Carrol was still furious an hour or so after the match and had to choose his words very careful as he summed up the ninety minutes.
"I thought we defended very stoutly after a shaky first five minutes or so and although we had to play with ten men for eighty minutes we definitely deserved something from the game" said a dejected Carrol.
"It's never easy coming here and the last thing we needed was to go a man down so early in the game but great credit to the players they worked their socks off and were very unlucky not to pick up all three points never mind a draw!" added Carrol. Carrol went on to say "Referees see things their way and it is not for us to question them although a little bit of consistency and common sense would prevail from time to time. We now travel to Huntly two players down and without 'Molby', which really stretches our squad but we will just get on with it and try our best to get things back on track".

Vale:
Bremner, Dolan, Gray, ##Chisholm, Dlugonski, #Anderson, Brown (Pressley 89), L. Stephen (Kidd 75), #McKenzie, B. Stephen (McAllister 81), ##Urquhart

Subs not used: Sharp, Campbell

Keith
Shearer, Morrison, Brown, Robertson, Niddrie (McKenzie 67), King, Still, Deans, #Cadger, Smith, Donaldson

Referee:A.Freeland