Bray eyes Hampden starring role
This weekend, a Lewis-man will walk into Hampden for a Scottish Cup semi-final. Not as a supporter, not as a wide-eyed spectator, but as a Dunfermline Athletic player with a real chance of stepping onto that grand stage against Falkirk and with a chance to continue to enhance his fast growing reputation.
Keith Bray, born and raised in Tong, is Hampden-bound this weekend as Dunfermline Athletic take on Falkirk with a place in the Scottish Cup final up for grabs.
“It is quite surreal to be preparing for a Scottish Cup semi final when you're thinking about it,” he told the Gazette this week.
“But it's all credit to what the team have done this season. It's been a great campaign in the league so far and hopefully we can continue that. But also in the Cup we've beaten some big teams already and hopefully we can do it again on the weekend when we play Falkirk."
Whether Keith makes an appearance on the hallowed turf remains to be seen but the fact that it is a real possibility confirms his speed of progress since joining the Fife club.
In recent games, he has repeatedly come on as a substitute to help push Dunfermline into a position where they are now almost certain to finish in the Championship play-offs with a third place finish possible.
Keith came on at half-time in last week’s 2-0 defeat to Partick Thistle. However, in the previous game against Ayr United he was a late substitute and scored in the 86th minute to seal an important victory in the race for play-off places.
“I scored my first goal and well about time,” he smiled. “That goal is long overdue but I thankfully got it and it was a great time to get it on the lead up to, not just the Scottish Cup semi-final but also on the lead up to the end of the season and hopefully the play-offs.
“Yeah, I was scoring quite a few at Caley Thistle last season and it's a shame I haven't been able to do it as much this season for Dunfermline but we'll take the positives and hopefully we can get back to that soon."
He is believed to be highly rated by Dunfermline manager Neil Lennon and one source close to the club described him as “the best player to come out of Inverness since Ryan Christie”.