Published: Thursday, 5th July, 2007 12:00pm

Aberdour beaten in cup final

by Sportsdesk

Print | Email

Pic by: Dunfermline Press

THE most important match in Aberdour Shinty Club"s short history ended in defeat on Saturday.

Glenorchy beat Aberdour 3-2 in Glasgow to lift the MacQuiston Cup, the trophy for under-17 teams in the South of Scotland.

Aberdour had beaten the favourites, Oban Camanchd, in the semi-final but both Matt White and Matt Bremner were missing for the final so five players from the under-14 team were included in the squad with Alec Mitchell and Craig Grant starting.

Glenorchy brought in two players from Oban Celtic which proved to be crucial as Fraser McKerracher scored all the Glenorchy goals.

In the second minute Glenorchy scored with their first attack when a deflected clearance fell to McKerracher, who drove low into the corner. After this early setback, Aberdour struggled to get into the game as Glenorchy were being given too much time in possession.

However, Aberdour began to match their opponents and the equaliser came in 30 minutes when Ali Shaw"s long pass wasn"t cleared by the Glenorchy goalkeeper and Doug Newsom tapped the ball in.

With Aberdour defender Fraser Mathisen receiving treatment on the touchline, the game re-started and Glenorchy scored immediately through the unmarked McKerracher.

At half-time coach Lisa Norman switched Newsom and Ali Shaw, the latter playing full forward and Newsom moved back to midfield.

Aberdour took command in midfield and it took only five minutes to draw level at 2-2, Calum Shaw"s long pass being expertly steered home by his younger brother Ali.

Aberdour restricted Glenorchy to the odd long-range strike but a two-minute spell when they failed to clear the ball led to the winner after 65 minutes.

After a good save, 12-year-old Mitchell came out to challenge for the ball and was knocked over, quite legally, by an opponent twice his size allowing Glenorchy"s hat-trick hero to fire into the net.

Aberdour pushed for an equaliser to take the final to extra time but the closest they came was a flick from a narrow angle from Calum Shaw that crept inches past the far post.

Aberdour: Alec Mitchell, Tom Bowerman, Seb Mercer, Fraser Mathisen, Ross Nicol, Calum Shaw (captain), Ruaridh Reid, Ally Hutt, Alister Shaw, David Rogers, Doug Newsom, Craig Grant. Subs – Robin Bremner, Adam Leask, Lewis Nicol.