Thursday 16th March 2023 President's Trophy Semi final Albyn Seniors vs Portlethen Seniors

Report on Albyn School Seniors v Portlethen Academy Seniors, Presidents Trophy Semi Final, Thursday 16th March 2023, by Walter Craig

Portlethen Do Just Enough To Squeeze Past Albyn

Albyn School Seniors
Wilson Diack, Phillip Ogedengbe, Connor Sibbald, Dylan Watt, Yavi Pillai, Euan Brechin, Theo Jones, Kaiden Ross, Adam Mekkany, Sami Lefgoum, Harry McAuley, Micah Pillai, Anyan Jeet, Abhilash Vitthala, Theo Goke-Dabiri and Luke Bibby.

Portlethen Academy Seniors
Blair Thompson, Ross Young, Freddie Kinghan, Thomas Paterson, Lewis Grant, Jamie Cowell, Ben Brown, Tom Chalmers, Sam Leslie, Finlay Dyce and Glen Robertson, Subs Craig Jamieson, Sean McNally, Callum More, Jack Brown and Robbie Thomson.

Referee Derek Mitchell

Albyn School hosted Portlethen Academy at Spain Park in the second semi-final of the Presidents Trophy. Cults Academy defeated Bridge of Don Academy by seven goals to two on Wednesday 15th March to book their place in the final, thus an attractive fixture awaited today’s winners.

Albyn had marginally the better of the early end to end exchanges which did not feature too much goalmouth action. They came close to capitalising on a weak Portlethen passback in five minutes, but Blair Thompson speedily ran from his goal to clear the danger.

They had the game’s first corner on the quarter hour mark but again they could not force the ball home.

The visitors were beginning to have more of a hold in midfield and took the lead in nineteen minutes. Glen Robertson gathered the ball from a throw on the left and made progress into the box. He fed Finlay Dyce who cracked a fine drive off the crossbar from fifteen yards. Tom Chalmers was first to react and gleefully headed the ball into the empty net.

Portlethen were keen to add to their advantage and spent some time on the attack although Albyn’s ventures upfield always carried a threat and it took a last-ditch tackle on a couple of occasions to keep them out.

The interval was only five minutes away when Portlethen doubled their lead. Good work by Jamie Cowell, running from the halfway line on the right, saw his cross touched on by Robertson to Dyce. The winger steadied himself and sent a strong low drive from ten yards past the despairing dive of Wilson Diack and into the net.

Albyn now needed the half time whistle to blow in order that they could re-group and set about clawing the goals back but to do this they would have to give keeper Thompson more work to do.

Nobody could grudge Portlethen their advantage at the interval, but they were slightly flattered by the margin of their lead.

Half Time: Albyn School Seniors 0 - 2 Portlethen Academy Seniors

Albyn were keen to reduce the deficit as the second period began, and wanted a spot kick in the first minute but the visiting defender’s challenge was ruled to be fair.

Portlethen heeded the warning and Robertson set off down the left. His superb cross was met first time by Chalmers, but his fierce drive went narrowly over the bar.

The game had sprung to life now and it was Albyn who hit the net reducing the arrears with five minutes gone. Micah Pillai scampered down the right before sending the ball across goal where it was hit home at the far post by the unmarked Adam Mekkany.

Albyn had the bit between their teeth now and for the first time in the match Portlethen looked shaken.

They quickly regained their composure and had a chance to restore their two-goal cushion five minutes later. Robertson made progress into the Albyn box before being felled. The referee pointed to the spot and the striker picked himself off the ground to take the kick. He dispatched the ball wide of Diack’s left hand and into the corner of the net.

Albyn then mounted a number of attacks but in the main the Portlethen defence held firm.

It was the visitors who had the next chance with Sam Leslie charging down an attempted clearance by Diack but the ball seemed determined not to go into the goal and the danger was cleared.

The match was in its last fifteen minutes when Connor Sibbald sent a free kick from the halfway line towards the Portlethen box where it was collected by Theo Jones but his try went narrowly beyond the far post.

Jack Brown then had two chances to increase the away team’s lead. The first was a snapshot which was excellently tipped over the bar by the home keeper and the second a header after a fine run and cross from Cowell on the right which he glanced wide of Diack but just over the crossbar.

Callum More then had a couple of chances and it seemed that if there was to be another goal it would fall to the visitors. The reverse was the case, however.

A long punt upfield by Diack saw Euan Brechin run forward to gather the ball when it went over the heads of the defenders. He steadied himself and calmly lobbed the ball over Thompson from twenty yards leaving his team with three minutes to save the tie.

A free kick on the left taken by Kaiden Ross caused some consternation in the Portlethen defence before being eventually cleared. Try as they might Albyn couldn’t find an equaliser and the final whistle sounded with the visitors having won through to play Cults for the Trophy.

It had been a fine encounter, but Portlethen were certainly deserved winners. A word for Albyn, though. They have had a testing week, going out of two cup competitions in a matter of days, but they can be proud of their efforts in reaching the latter stages of these.

Final Score: Albyn School Seniors 2 - 3 Portlethen Academy Seniors