Aviemore and Cromdale to contest last game of local welfare season
The Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare Football Association’s 2024 season reaches its conclusion tomorrow night with the MacLean Cup Final.
The last game of the season will be contested by Aviemore Thistle and Cromdale after they prevailed in the latest games.
Aviemore Thistle 3-1 Grantown Utd
As tends to happen towards the end of the season both sides were forced to field threadbare sides.
The two teams having already served-up some cracking games and this one would be no different.
That said, it was a very cagey start from both teams with the strong wind playing a major
factor in the first half.
United grew into the game with the wind behind them and a long-range effort from 30 yards whistled past Colin Campbell’s upright.
However, Grantown were then reduced to 10 when a moment of madness from Marcus Sellars saw him lash out and walk for his efforts.
Thistle made this numerical advantage count as they took the lead shortly before the interval, arguably against the run of play.
A wicked cross in from the welfare veteran David Robertson found the on-rushing Rory MacKinnon to volley home from close range.
Grantown had an effort cleared off the line from a dangerous Damian Paluga corner shortly afterwards.
Thistle started brightly in the second half and doubled their lead within five minutes.
Xav Vastano picked the ball up on the right wing and fired an inch perfect drive across the keeper and into the top left corner.
Aviemore made it three when another Robertson cross found the deadly MacKinnon’s head to knock home for his second of the evening.
United pulled one back on the 70th minute when Adam Szinyeri slotted home after a defensive mix-up in the Aviemore box in the box.
This goal clearly fired the Grantown side up as they pressed hard in the closing stages, almost netting a second goal to set-up a grandstand finish.
But in the end Aviemore ran out deserved winners, and after the match were formally presented with the League shield by SBWFA Secretary Alasdair MacNeill, deputising for sponsor Brian Ritchie.
Cromdale 5-0 Badenoch Utd
When these sides met the previous Tuesday, it was the young Badenoch side that handed out the evening’s lesson.
So Cromdale clearly had revenge on their mind as the sides clashed once again, with a spot in the season’s finale up for grabs.
Dale showed their intent early as they took the lead after 13 minutes.
Badenoch’s keeper was unable to hold a powerful drive from Ewan Mackintosh, and the striker was sharp enough to pounce in the rebound and slot it into the corner.
Mackintosh was a man full of confidence after that goal, and he rubber stamped that minutes later with a sublime second goal to edge Dale even further ahead.
Badenoch’s dominance the previous week seemed to desert them as with 26 minutes gone Cromdale made it 3-0.
A corner from Alex Williamson drifted out to the edge of the box where Cairn Giles met it with a perfect volley that took a slight deflection on its way into the net.
United were all at sea by now and it was 4-0 five minutes later.
Daniel Whitehorn went on a dance through the Badenoch defence but was denied by the keeper’s foot as he got set to pull the trigger.
However, the clearance landed kindly for him, and he made no mistake with his second bite.
Badenoch went for their half time oranges wondering just what had hit them, especially after
such a dominant performance in the sides’ last encounter.
But whatever was said during the huddle clearly worked as they were a much-improved side as the re-emerged for the second half.
It was a much closer affair with neither side managing to break the other down.
But Dale finally managed to add to their tally with with 10 minutes remaining.
It is one Badenoch’s number one will want to forget, as he somehow failed to hold a Cairn Giles long range free kick from inside his own half and could only watch as the ball fell into the net.
This then puts Cromdale into their second cup final in a row.
They meet Aviemore Thistle at Strathspey Thistle’s Seafield Park in Grantown tomorrow (Friday) night, with kick off at 7pm.
