Keith goalkeeper Craig Reid speaks about Scottish Cup heroics after saving two penalty kicks and scoring one to earn victory over Camelon Juniors in Kynoch Park thriller

He’s the goalkeeper who loves scoring goals as much as he revels in the art of saving penalty kicks.

Keith number one Craig Reid created a new chapter in his incredible Kynoch Park chronicles by becoming a Scottish Cup hero on Saturday.

The Maroons scored a stoppage time equaliser as their home tie with Camelon Juniors went to penalties, and Reid grabbed all of the glory.

With only four Keith players stepping forward to volunteer to take a kick, the 29-year-old became their fifth kicker and eventual match winner.

Having saved 11 penalties from open play and two in a previous shoot-out, Reid was disappointed when the first three Camelon strikes all beat him.

But he proceeded to save the next one, then stepped up to score his own one and completed a unique hat-trick by stopping the visitors’ fifth effort as well, earning victory for his team.

He’s the keeper who also scored an overhead kick for the Maroons to rescue a last-minute equaliser at former club Huntly last season. So his penalty conversion was the second time he has netted for his club in 2024.

“It was just a whirlwind of emotions,” Reid said. “It was absolute madness, a crazy day but good for the cup and great for us to get through to the second round because it’s been a struggle for us in the last few years to get past the first hurdle.”

The Maroons missed numerous chances in a pulsating game and went behind on the hour.

Camelon had a player sent off but so too did Keith when Jamie Milne was dismissed, and time was running out for the Highland League side until Nathan McKeown fired home a stoppage time leveller to force extra time - then penalties.

Matty Tough saw his strike well saved and Camelon were 3-2 up after three kicks apiece, before Reid performed his solo salvage operation

“At the end of the game Craig (Ewen) said he needed five guys for penalties and only four put their hand up,” he revealed.

“Matty was one of the guys who put his hand up last minute and it’s funny how the psychology of it works, as unfortunately he missed his kick.

“I don’t know if I said I wanted to be the fifth man but I think Craig put me fifth hoping it wouldn’t get that far!

“We had a penalty shoot-out last season against Buckie and I was put down as fifth, thankfully we won that one after the fourth kick. But this time it did come down to the fifth one, and it’s the first time I’ve had to take a penalty.

“The whole day was a bit mad. Both teams got a player sent off, they scored and we missed so many chances and I had a sick feeling in my stomach that whole second half. It was looking like it was going to slip through our fingers, then we scored in the 92nd minute.

“I felt when it went into penalties, for the first couple I usually do well and maybe guess the right way and save one. But they scored their first three and we missed one, and you start to think it’s going to be one of those days that it's not going to go for us.

“But then they took their fourth and I managed to get a touch it on to the post. It trickled just in front of the post and stayed out.

“I had to ask the referee if it was Keith's fifth penalty next, and he said yes which meant it was my turn.

“I took a penalty in training on Wednesday so I knew where I was going to put it but I tried not to think too much about it. I thought I would be more nervous than I actually was.

“I took a two-step run-up and tried to put decent pace and placement on it. The keeper got a touch on it but luckily enough it was close enough to the corner that it still went in.

“Once it did go in, it wasn’t a case of celebrating but more a relief and I couldn’t jump about because I still had a job to do. I had to jump back in the goals, but I managed to save their fifth one.

“Again, I was so caught up in the emotions of it, I didn't even realise it was the last one until the ref blew his whistle and everyone sprinted over to do a big celebration.

“It was a great moment. We went from being absolutely livid with our performance that we didn’t manage to take our chances, to getting the late equaliser and then winning on penalties.

“I knew I had saved three penalties this season and I thought I would get at least one, but after the first three went past me I was beginning to doubt that.

“So to save the fourth and fifth, and score my one in between - I was delighted for the club and for the manager.

“We’ve been on a poor run of results, up and down like a yo-yo so the manager and club will have been feeling that and our position in the table isn’t that great.

“We’ve had a few decent performances and some poor ones and just can’t seem to find any consistency. We are struggling for goals and that was the issue on Saturday again because we should have won it with something to spare. But thankfully we got through.”

Keith landed another home tie in the second round draw against Clydebank, who knocked Elgin City out of the Scottish Cup in 2021.

“The Scottish Cup is all about trying to get the glamour tie and Buckie got that last season, so we all want a bit of that for ourselves.

“You want to get a Premiership team if you can keep the run going. We’ve got another home tie now against Clydebank and that definitely won’t be easy, but there’s so many teams in that draw you would want to avoid.

“We’re on home turf against a team that will be very good I’m sure, but it could have been worse. It’s going to come down to what we can do and we will need to take our chances.

“We have a resilience in the squad to churn out results against the top teams but scoring goals has been a problem.”

Reid has now amassed 15 penalty saves for Keith including four in shoot-outs.

“I’m pretty sure that’s from less than 100 games for Keith, and I have scored a couple of goals now to throw in there for good measure!”