Keiss boss full of praise for comeback kid Owen
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Keiss boss Graeme Banks paid tribute to young star Owen Mathieson whose football career was once nearly over before it had started.
Two years ago, Owen, who was 14 then, was paralysed and fighting for his life after a routine football kickabout with his pals resulted in a freak accident.
A ball had hit his head and nothing more was thought of it at the time. But he later developed headaches, a swelling above his eye and showed sensitivity to light.
He was initially thought to have concussion but later on his symptoms worsened and a scan showed a bleed between the skull and his brain.
After being transferred to hospitals in Aberdeen and later Edinburgh, paralysis set in on his right side and an infection that started in his sinuses had entered his brain with surgery having to be performed.
Remarkably, Owen made a huge recovery and two years later is back playing football after being given the green light to do so by the doctors.
Banks said: "Owen is one brave lad. To come back from something like that is phenomenal.
"As you know, he got hit in the head with a football during a game with his pals and then a bleed on the brain puts him in hospital following that.
"He recovered and the doctors gave him the all-clear to play football again. To come back after a serious injury is some achievement – not just with what physically happened too.
"Owen put in a superb performance in our recent match against High Ormlie Hotspur. In fact both him and his fellow striker James Thain impressed.
"I hope I can keep the pair of them for next season. There haven't been any suitors from other clubs as yet but I know they're coming."
Despite the displays of Mathieson and Thain, Keiss were edged out in a 2-0 loss at home to Spurs.
The visitors scored via Aaron Wilson and Marc Keith and find themselves second in Division Two behind Wick Thistle.
Banks added: "It wasn't just Owen and James who performed well, the whole team did.
"OK we lost the game but when you see the young boys giving 100 per cent and leaving everything out there, you can't complain.
"If they do that and they still lose, it means that we've forced the opposition into really being the best team that won.
"Considering the same eleven I put out against Spurs was the same team that got beaten 7-2 last week, that was much better.
"When the boys came off at full-time, I told them that I had no complaints as they had given everything and were unlucky not to get something from that game."
Elsewhere in Division Two, Halkirk got back to winning ways as they beat Thurso Pentland 2-0.
