Darren ready to play on and defend cup
Skipper undecided on his future
Keith 5 Huntly 2
Published:
KEITH captain Darren Still finally got his hands on the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup.
And he did not rule out returning next season to defend the trophy.
With Keith capturing the cup for the first time in 29 seasons, Still has now won every long-standing Highland League competition.
The 36-year-old admitted he is yet to decide whether to extend his storied career at the end of this term.
But Still revealed a desire to win the recently-created Challenge Cup, which replaced the old Qualifying Cup, may provide him with the motivation to keep playing.
He said: “It’s nice to get this medal and if you add in the North cups I won with Lossiemouth, I have probably won every trophy available, apart from the new Challenge Cup.
“So I might have to come back next season and have a go at it.
“But I am 37 in two weeks’ time so I am just going to have to wait and see how I feel come the end of the season.”
Alongside Still, the likes of Derek Nicol, Dean Donaldson and manager Martin Allan also lifted the trophy for the first time having enjoyed a sustained period of success at Kynoch Park.
Allan has been in charge of the Maroons since 1996, and Still was delighted the boss was finally able to lift the elusive trophy.
He said: “All of the players at the club were taken here by Martin.
“The development I have seen in some of them since I came to Keith is down to the coaching they get from the management team.
“I’m very pleased for him and hopefully he’s not finished yet this season.”
Despite the joy of the elder statesmen at Keith, one player was celebrating Saturday’s success for a very different reason.
The Aberdeenshire Cup victory was the first time Michael Fyfe had won anything with Keith since signing from Stonehaven juniors midway through last season.
Fyfe was instrumental in the win, scoring a double that was added to by Martin Wood’s brace and a late strike from Jamie Lennox.
The winger was pleased with his contribution and even happier to have picked up a piece of silverware in a Maroon jersey.
He said: “This is my first trophy for Keith so I am over the moon.
“A lot of the players really wanted to win this one, as did the manager.”
“When you haven’t got something then you want it badly, so it was good for them that we won it.
“I am pleased with my performance and hopefully this is the first of many medals for myself with Keith.”
Huntly’s afternoon started terribly when first choice keeper Ross Bremner suffered a back injury while warming-up and had to be replaced by Gavin Robertson.
Bremner was gutted to miss out on the final.
He said: “I’d been really looking forward to the game for a week and the warm-up went well until right at the end when I tried to catch a cross and hurt my back.
“It happened at about ten minutes before kick off and the team-lines had already been handed in.
“I thought I’d be able to loosen it off, but I just couldn’t stand up properly.”
Bremner’s injury only added to a miserable day for Huntly, when the only bright spots were goals from Russell Guild and Michael Ewen.
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