Keith buried, Garden blooms

FOR those who have never known the delights of the Highland League this tie must have created a fabulous image. Keith versus Rangers: a big strapping Highlander playing the country's finest all on his own. All the ingredients were there as Keith, a town of 5,000, had sold 7,000 tickets, the town clearly considering the rescheduled match at Aberdeen's Pittodrie stadium as an opportunity for a day out.

Grannies, children and all the others who have never been to a football match appeared and even gave us a glimmer of hope as they welcomed their team on to the pitch, drowning out the thin Rangers support. Keith were clearly encouraged, but two minutes later Ian Ferguson popped up and they were a goal down. Any hopes they had of a Cup upset quickly slipped from their grasp and by half-time they were trailing 6-0. However, Keith substitute Mark Garden still had the last word, scoring an 89th-minute consolation goal.

The Keith manager Jim Hamilton spent pounds 15,000 assembling his side - sadly no match for the pounds 15m array of stars facing them. Alex Cleland scored a first-half hat-trick, Ferguson claimed a treble as well and Gordon Durie (penalty), David Robertson and Charlie Miller also netted.

Alexei Mikhalichenko, on as substitute, claimed the 10th with three minutes left but the win still fell short of Rangers' biggest Cup win, a 14-2 success over Blairgowrie in 1934.

For Ian Thain, in the Keith goal, it was the first time he had conceded 10 goals in his career and to cap it all he then lost out on Andy Goram's goalkeeping jersey as the Keith players departed with a string of souvenirs of the occasion, including almost every item of Danish star Brian Laudrup's clothing.

Thain, in his testimonial season with Keith, said: "I'd rather it had been nine. I've never let in 10 so it is a big disappointment. Rangers had the rub of the green a few times when the ball broke for them to score."

Thain, a 31-year-old sales executive and a Rangers supporter, had wanted to exchange his jersey with Goram to add to one he received from Chris Woods a few years ago but had to settle for gloves instead. "Apparently it is a lucky jersey for Andy," Thain said.

Keith manager Hamilton agreed that his team had been outclassed from gun to tape. "We had hoped to keep it tight for the opening quarter of an hour - but we were already 3-0 down after 15 minutes."

Goalscorer Garden was thrilled with his last-minute strike which beat Goram from 18 yards. "I shouldn't have to buy a drink in Keith for a few years on the strength of that," said the 20-year-old welder, who is his club's record buy at pounds 6,000 from Montrose. Together with that memory, Keith will return home with the consolation of receipts from the 14,000 crowd at Pittodrie - some pounds 50,000.