Friday 12th May 2023 Westhill S2 vs Cults S2 Sportsman's Trophy Final

Report on Westhill Academy Second Year v Cults Academy Second Year, Sportsmans Trophy Final, Friday 12th May 2023, by Walter Craig

Sam’s Super Strike Wins the Trophy for Westhill

Westhill Academy Second Year
Max Blackwood, Owen Forbes, Alex Ferrier, Gabriel White, Robbie Mitchell, Keir Robson, Calum Bell, Ewan McLeish, Seif Fahmy Mamood, Samuel Dennis and Matthew Grassick. Subs Joe Huntington, Matthew Rengel, Finlay Mitchell and Hussein Hassan .

Cults Academy Second Year
Harvey Watson, Robbie Craib, Wicktor Laszczkowski, Gavin Pedrog, Jamie Robertson, Freddie Freeland, Jay Peddie, Caelan Angus, Calum Ramseyer, Matthew Johnston, Ewan Andrews, Oliver Robertson, Ciaran Clinton, Aaron Mitchell and Owen Douglas.

Referee B. Eden

Sunny conditions welcomed the teams of Westhill Academy and Cults Academy at Lochside Astro in the final of the Sportmans Trophy.

There may have been a feeling that Westhill should start favourites, but no-one could have foreseen what was to unfold in the next seventy minutes or so.

Both sides made a fast start each having an early chance setting the tone for a well contested match. In five minutes, Cults were awarded an indirect free kick for a passback to the keeper which resulted in Matthew Johnston shooting narrowly over, before Ewan Andrews made progress into the box and tested Max Blackman’s reflexes.

It was Wiktor Laszczkowski who featured in the next attack with a fine run down the right evading tackles by Westhill’s Sam Dennis and Robbie Mitchell, but his cross was too near to the keeper.

Eighteen minutes saw the closest thing to a goal. A twenty-five yard shot from Calum Bell was heading for the top corner before the Cults keeper stuck out a hand to divert the ball past the post for an unproductive corner kick.

Moments later Bell was at it again, but this time his try was blocked. It fell to Seif Fahmy Mahmood, but his attempt was kicked off the goal line by a Cults defender.

It was all Westhill at this point. The deadlock was broken, however, in the twentieth minute. A long ball into the box from the right evaded defender and attacker alike before falling into the path of Samuel Dennis at the back post and he rushed in and thundered the ball into the net from three yards.

Three minutes later Dennis nearly turned provider as his cross from the left found no teammate able to get a strong enough shot to beat the keeper. Andrews then dispossessed Gabriel White on the halfway line and ran down the left towards the box. His cross found Robertson but the fellow attacker had strayed into an offside position.

The halftime whistle blew soon afterwards to end what had been an enthralling thirty-five minutes. Cults had the better of the early exchanges but the game turned on its head round the time of the goal. An interesting second period was eagerly awaited.

Half Time: Westhill Academy Second Year 1 - 0 Cults Academy Second Year

The second half began like the first with both sides going all out to score the next goal. A free kick on the Westhill left which was taken by Mitchell, flashed across goal looking for someone to put a toe on it but once more it bypassed everyone.

Cults’ Robertson then cut down the right and moved into the box, but substitute keeper Joe Huntington was able to save.

In their next attack Cults had a great chance to equalise. The ball was crossed into the box and Andrews and Robertson went for it together. It fell to the former whose drive was heading to the top corner before Huntington got a hand to it and turned it round the post to complete a remarkable save.

In six minutes, Robertson was clean through on goal, outstripping the defender but, once again the keeper was up to it.

Ten minutes were played when a good combination move involving Matthew Grassick and Ewan McLeish saw the pass find Dennis at the back post but this time he was crowded out.

Another double chance for Cults seven minutes later. The ball was played through Andrews whose drive beat Huntington before being cleared off the line. Cults were first to the rebound and smacked the ball against the crossbar from where it bobbed up for Robertson, but he headed it into the keeper’s hands.

Off to the other end, and a shot from Mahmood was blocked for a corner which saw Dennis leap to head goalwards. He was forced to watch in dismay as now the Cults keeper brought off a world class save to tip the ball over the bar for a corner. What a display of goalkeeping was on show.

In twenty-three minutes, man of the match Calum Bell, picked the ball up just inside the Cults half. He moved goalwards running past a couple of defenders, but his strong drive cleared the crossbar by just a couple of inches.

Back to the other end and Andrews once again won the ball on halfway from White, ran into the box, and delivered a shot which also cleared the crossbar by inches.

Another Cults try this time by Caelan Angus from just outside the six-yard box was well blocked by Huntington.

It was really wonderful stuff. There was no further scoring in the five additional minutes and, amid scenes of great joy, Westhill celebrated their victory. Cults were understandably disappointed and if ever there was a time when there didn’t deserve to be a loser this was it.

Football matches don’t come any closer than this one and the standard of play was high as well. It obviously makes no sense to say it, but it felt as if the ball had decided that it was not going to go into the net on more than one occasion no matter how hard the players tried.

Congratulations to Westhill if only for managing to score the game’s only goal.

Final Score: Westhill Academy Second Year 1 - 0 Cults Academy Second Year