Saturday 4th March 2023 Cults S1 vs Albyn S1 Green Final Trophy Match Report

Report on Cults Academy First Year v Albyn School First Year, Green Final Trophy Semi Final, Saturday 4th March 2023, by Walter Craig

Five Star Goalkeeping Sees Cults Reach the Final.

Cults Academy First Year
Marcus Voila Domini O’Kennedy, Calum Wood, Keiran Milne, Harry Strachan, Tyler Ferguson, Oliver MacDonald, Callum Mackay, Luke Brodie, Maurycy Sipoerski, Orfu Ogah and Matthew Craig. Subs Theo Macaskill and Charlie McLuckie.

Albyn School First Year
Ethan Twist, William Lindsey, Rory Mackay, Timothy Ogedengbe, Leon Antzak, Nathan Grieve, Joel Okhuoya, Euan Mackay, Aaron Jones, Logan McDougall and Mitchell Obosi. Subs Austin Ash, Alex Rennie, Samuel Stewart and Jordan Horsman.

Referee A. Cunningham

Cults Academy were at home to Albyn School in the first semi-final of the Green Final Trophy. The game kicked off in bright sunlight and saw the home team defending the school end and having the benefit of the wind which was to vary in strength as the game progressed.

Cults were first to show but the Albyn defence was able to clear their early corner.

Albyn soon gained a flag kick at the other end and Euan Mackay headed narrowly wide from Aaron Jones’ well-placed right-wing corner.

Cults’ Orfu Ogah was next to fashion a chance after winning the ball in midfield. He closed in on goal but Ethan Twist was quick to leave his line and block the attempt.

Midway through the half the deadlock was broken. Cults were awarded a free kick wide on the right in line with the penalty box. Ogah took it but his cross was only cleared as far as Callum Mackay on the edge of the box. The midfielder brought the ball under control before sending a twenty yard drive beyond the outstretched hands of the keeper.

Albyn went up field immediately and Marcus Vila Domini O’Kennedy did well to parry a strong drive and gather from Mitchell Obosi as the latter was on the point of shooting.

Albyn were beginning to set up attacks from midfield, well led by Jones and Joel Okhuoya, but the Cults defence with Tyler Ferguson prominent were holding them at bay.

At the other end, Twist did well to turn a long-range drive from Maurycy Siporski round the post as half time approached and the whistle went just after the corner.

There had been nothing between the teams in what had been, at times, a scrappy half. Both sides will be looking to put their stamp on proceedings after the break.

Half Time: Cults Academy First Year 1 - 0 Albyn School First Year

Attack was to be the order of the day for both sides on the restart and that is how it turned out.

A strong marauding run from midfield by Okhuoya saw his cross find Logan McDougall but he was quickly crowded out.

Three minutes in the midfielder sent another fine ball forward. This time it was collected by Nathan Grieve but the ball took a wicked bounce as he entered the box and the opportunity was gone.

Two minutes later, Cults then moved upfield and grabbed a second. A long clearance out of defence saw Matthew Craig hold off the visiting defenders forty yards out and lob the ball over Twist and into the net from the edge of the box.

Albyn were not going to give in and Grieve was foiled by a last minute block after controlling Timothy Ogedengbe’s slide rule pass.

Then the home keeper was called upon to save from McDougall after Albyn had worked the ball well across the box from the right. The corner fell to Ogedengbe and O’Kennedy somehow managed to get his hands to the midfielder’s strong drive. Unbelievable save.

More good work from Ogedengbe who moved in from the right and was just crowded out.

It was all Albyn at this point, although Cults had a penalty claim when Craig went through once more, but he took a little too long to shoot and was dispossessed by a fine tackle.

Charlie McLuckie had a chance to add to Cults’ advantage but his shot from a long cross from the right was pushed past the post by Twist.

Albyn deservedly reduced the deficit as the game went into its last ten minutes. McDougall gathered yet another right wing cross before confidently slotting home.

Could the visitors find an equaliser? It looked like Ogedengbe had done the trick minutes later. He twisted and turned past four defenders and the keeper inside the box but his attempt was from too narrow an angle and it struck the base of the post before running wide.

No-one could have grudged Albyn an equaliser at this point and Cults had to dig deep to keep them out.

Two minutes from time a great ball out of defence from Jones found Ogedengbe wide on the right. He beat his opponent and moved into the box, but somehow O’Kennedy was able to save his shot.

Cults thus make it to the final of the Green Final Trophy where they will meet either Lochside or Portlethen, due in no small way to the great saves made by keeper O’Kennedy.

The match was a great example of one where there was nothing between the teams and whichever one lost out could consider themselves unlucky. Congratulations to both teams for their efforts particularly in the second half.

Final Score: Cults Academy First Year 2 - 1 Albyn School First Year