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Manager Kevin Anderson felt Wick Groats “thoroughly deserved” their Colin Macleod Memorial Cup triumph – and should have had it wrapped up long before Greg Shearer bundled home his stoppage-time winner.
Saturday’s showdown with Wick Thistle was a scrappy affair which looked destined for extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out until Shearer broke the deadlock three minutes into time added on at the end of the 90 with a close-range header that went in off a post via a Thistle player’s knee.
“A bit of composure in the final third and we could have had that game put to bed after 60 minutes, in my opinion,” Anderson said.
The final attracted a big crowd to Castletown’s Back Park on a warm afternoon – so warm, indeed, that the match was halted for a water break in each half, a rare sight in Caithness football. However, a stiff breeze blowing down the pitch meant too many passes were being overhit and efforts on goal from decent positions were flying over the top.
The match came one week after the teams had met in Wick in the second round of the Highland Amateur Cup, with Groats winning 3-1 after extra time on that occasion.
Anderson said: “I thought we were the better team today. I thought we were far better than we were last week.
“With Kyle Henderson and Craig Gunn [for Thistle] we had to be alert and I thought we restricted them to not many chances.
“I thought we thoroughly deserved the win, but we need to be better in the final third. We got in areas but the decision-making at times was poor – we were shooting when we should have been slipping somebody in.
“But it was a cup final, the cup is in our changing room, that’s the main thing. When all is said and done, that’s what it’s all about.
“We knew in the second half the wind would help us, the ball would hold up a bit more.
“We got our wide players into the game more in the second half. Jonah [Martens] was doing really well, Korbyn [Cameron] was doing well, James [Mackay] worked tirelessly all afternoon.”
Top scorer Steven Anderson missed out, having suffered a rib injury in the Highland Amateur Cup tie.
Anderson added: “It’s one trophy in the bag. That’s all we won last year, one trophy [the David Allan Shield].
“As I keep saying, we’ve got half of a new team out there. It was all about grinding it out.
“Really we should have had the game put to bed before we did, but I’m delighted and we have a happy changing room in there – they’re all buzzing and the tins are flowing.”
Groats captain Gavin Sinclair received the Colin Macleod Memorial Cup from Colin’s daughter Megan in front of the recently refurbished Castletown pavilion.
Related story:
Result – Colin Macleod Memorial Cup final: Wick Groats 1, Wick Thistle 0 (in Castletown).
Fixtures – Monday, June 12 – Caithness AFA Division One: Wick Thistle v Acks (7.30pm).
Tuesday, June 13 – Division One: John O’Groats v High Ormlie Hotspur; Pentland United v Castletown; Wick Groats v Staxigoe United (all 7.30pm).
Wednesday, June 14 – Division Two: Keiss v Watten; Lybster v Top Joe’s; Swifts v Thurso Pentland (all 7.30pm).
Saturday, June 17 – Archer Shield, Orkney v Caithness.
Monday, June 19 – Division Two: Keiss v Top Joe’s; Thurso Pentland v Lybster; Watten v Swifts (all 7.30pm).
Wednesday, June 21 – Eain Mackintosh Cup, quarter-finals: Acks v Keiss; High Ormlie Hotspur v Castletown; Wick Groats v Staxigoe United; Wick Thistle v Pentland United (all 7.15pm).