Aviemore Thistle lift third cup of the welfare football season
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The spirit of Entente Cordiale between the clubs this season manifested itself on Friday night.
FC Abernethy fielded a patchwork side comprised of their own regulars plus several loan signings from other Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare Football Association sides so the Dalvey Cup final could be played.
But despite this, there was no stopping the Aviemore juggernaut from lifting their third cup of the season with a 10-1 win.
Unsurprisingly, Aviemore started the stronger outfit, and it didn’t take long before they broke the deadlock.
A great delivery from David Robertson found an unmarked Rory McKinnon who headed home from close range.
Five minutes later the same two players were involved again with a carbon copy goal of the first.
David Ross was next to score after some great footwork down the left by Blair Craig which allowed him to cut the ball back for Ross the fire home.
Ross doubled his tally on 35 minutes when a failed clearance presented an empty net which he found from 10 yards.
With the first half coming to an end, Aviemore managed to grab another goal to make it 5-0.
Rory McKinnon found space in behind the Nethy defence and his low drive into the bottom right was too much for the keeper.
Nethy came out fighting in the second half and were unlucky not to pull one back when a thundering free kick from Rob Stewart almost snapped the crossbar.
But the Jags soon extended their lead when Ross did well to keep the ball in on the byline, and some good footwork allowed him to create space to fire high into the top corner of the net.
Thistle got their seventh when Abernethy defender Rob Clark failed to clear his lines and instead cruelly turned the ball into his own net.
But despite the score, Nethy were still mounting moments of pressure, and this finally paid off with a much-deserved goal of their own.
A perfect through ball from midfield saw Martin Guckian one-on-one with the keeper, and he did not hesitate to confidently lash the ball right footed into the net.
But Aviemore’s eight came shortly after when McKinnon beat the offside trap and neatly slotted home past the advancing stopper.
Abernethy continued working hard, playing some lovely football and were unlucky not to get another goal when trialist Andrew Lehane, a welfare titan, went just wide with a towering header.
Jags’ Wayne Cathcart finally managed to find the back of the net after a frustrating night for him, with a well hit volley from just inside the area to clock up goal number nine.
And the scoring was completed with the last kick of the game when a Ross shot was parried by the keeper allowing Ross Peters to follow up and slot home.
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There were only two matches played on Tuesday (July 25) as the SBWFA played its penultimate set of league fixtures.
With FC Abernethy decimated by injuries and holidays, they had no option but to forfeit their encounter with Boat of Garten, earning the Ospreys a 3-0 walkover win.
Aviemore Thistle 15-0 Badenoch United
Champions-elect Aviemore were looking to finish the season in style and the unfortunate Badenoch side felt the full force of the red and black tidal wave.
Indeed, it was a very wet night in Aviemore which provided a great surface for some excellent football.
Thistle dominated possession all night and opened the scoring when a Scott Macdonald corner was met by Wayne Cathcart whose header found the bottom corner.
The Jags doubled the score when Rory MacKinnon found himself free inside the box to slot home, and he doubled his tally when a David Ross cross was volleyed home from close range to make it 3-0.
Ross got his first of the night after some good play down the left saw the ball flash across the goal for him to convert for number four.
James Crilley then got his second of the season when a Scott Macdonald corner fell at the defender’s feet at the back post.
Darren McConnell was the next to score on the half hour when his free kick was drilled into the bottom left corner giving the keeper no chance.
MacKinnon got his hat-trick when Cathcart played a well weighted ball through for him to slot past the onrushing keeper, and Ross netted his second 10 minutes later when his low drive from 25 yards left the keeper helpless.
Antonio Burnett added his name to the score sheet after his run down the right led him to a tight angle but his low shot found the gap between the keeper’s legs.
And MacKinnon got another on the stroke of half time when a Scott Macdonald cross was met with a well-timed header to send the Jags into double digits.
The second half took a good 20 minutes to heat up again, and unsurprisingly it was MacKinnon again who found the net after a great through ball from McConnell.
Ross got his own hat-trick when his great link up play with Cathcart saw his initial shot parried by the keeper but his follow up was too much for the stopper to keep out.
Andy Howe got his goal after his neat link up play with MacKinnon allowed him five yards to pick his spot and fire home – unlucky 13 for United.
Ross Peter got number 14 when his 30 yard piledriver shot across the goal found the bottom right hand corner.
And Ross got his fourth of the night after a determined run ended in a one on-one-with the keeper and he neatly slipped the ball through the stopper’s legs.
Cromdale 9-1 Grantown Rovers
Dale welcomed basement side Rovers to Cromdale with their eye firmly on finishing in second spot and it only took them three minutes to open their account.
A through ball from Fergus Riach was wonderfully dummied by Graham Murray, allowing Iain Brooks to drive home.
Ten minutes later Ben Morrison increased the hosts’ lead in rather fortunate style when his poor effort on goal somehow managed to bobble past the keeper.
And straight from the restart Dale broke up field once more, with Alex Williamson’s cross finding Brooks in space inside the box, and he made no mistake despatching it.
Play calmed somewhat after that, and it took till the 36th minute for Cromdale to score again.
A deep corner found Graham Murray at the front post to neatly tap home number four.
Shortly after the restart Brooks bagged his hat-trick when he expertly volleyed home a cross from Riach into the roof of the net.
And minutes later it was 6-0 when Ewan Mackintosh’s run and cutback delivered a composed finish from Angus Hillhouse into the bottom corner.
Rovers came close to pulling one back when Lyall Kinnaird’s well struck effort hit the woodwork but it would be Cromdale who would score next through a Graham Murray penalty.
However Grantown did manage to score with 10 minutes remaining when Charlie Speedie whipped over a corner which took a deflection off Ewan Mackintosh into the net.
But it was Ian Brooks who had the last say right on full time when he rose well to nod home an Alliod corner.
