BUCKIE UTD V ABERLOUR VILLA WELFARE CUP FINAL
BUCKIE UTD WINNING TEAM
BUCKIE United lifted the Highland Welfare Cup for the first time after victory in the final at Elgin City’s Borough Briggs stadium. A 5-2 success over Moray league rivals Aberlour Villa also made it a trophy double for United to complete a memorable season. The scoreline was identical to Buckie’s Tewnion Memorial Trophy final triumph over FC Fochabers a month earlier. Buckie started slight favourites, having finished ten points ahead of Villa in this year’s Premier Division table. However, it was Aberlour who made the brighter start, creating the better opportunities in the opening stages of the game but finding United’s rearguard too tough a nut to crack. The first goal was always going to be important and it was Buckie who drew first blood on 14 minutes. Top scorer Paul Mellon, who recently scored on a trial appearance with Buckie Rovers in the juniors, got into good position and played the ball across the six-yard box where Russell Geddes was handily placed to
force it into the net. United then doubled their lead on 28 minutes with a superbly taken goal. Ross Coull collected the ball on the edge of the Villa box and craftily beat the goalkeeper with a measured chip shot over his lead into the net. At 2-0 up Buckie might have began thinking their name was
already on the trophy, but their Speyside opponents had other ideas. Try as they might, Villa were unable to reduce the deficit before the break and Buckie held on to their two-goal advantage until the half time whistle. However things changed very quickly in the opening minutes of the second half as
Villa struck twice to level the scores. Almost straight from the kick off Aberlour broke into the penalty area and a foul resulted in a spot kick being awarded by referee Davy Robertson. Villa top scorer Grant Johnston stepped up to slot the kick past keeper Ryan Brindle and half Buckie’s lead.
Villa’s tails were now up and their pursuit of an equalising goal was rewarded on 58 minutes. Again Johnston was the man who mattered for Aberlour, firing a shot past Brindle from the edge of the box to spark celebrations in the Speyside camp. With the final now back in the melting pot, Buckie found another gear and regained their advantage a few minutes later. Paul Davidson beat keeper Paul Robertson with a deft chip from 16 yards to make it 3-2. Now it was Buckie in the ascendency and on 66 minutes they added a fourth goal as Paul Mellon latched on to a Nikki Soutar through ball and calmly side-footed the ball home. Any hopes Aberlour had of fighting their way back into the game were flattened six minutes from time when United sub Billy Duncan finished off a good passing movement with a side-footed finish to seal Buckie’s glory. Buckie United: Brindle, M Wood, Bain, A Geddes, J Wood, Soutar, McLean, R Geddes, P Mellon, Davidson, Coull. Subs: Stewart, McIntosh, Duncan, Simpson, J Mellon.