TWEEDMOUTH JUNS ......3
DUNBAR UTD COLTS ......2TWEEDMOUTH deservedly took the honours in this Lothian Buses Division 3 League Cup Final, held at Hallhill sports complex in Dunbar. With a hostile home support and a good travelling
crowd the atmosphere was, to say the least, electric!
Tweedmouth controlled the first half and took the lead on 19 minutes when Josh Gunn slotted home after a good corner from Luke Dickson was knocked down by Sean Dixon.
Tweedmouth continued to play some good, fast attractive football and it wasn't long before they extended their lead when Michael Moran and Morgan Noon combined well to set Gunn away to score his second of the game.
The third soon followed and Dickson, Matty Tait and Grant Leiper combined well to win the ball back and it ended up with Leiper providing a superb ball through for Noon to tuck away. It could have been even better for Tweedmouth when Leiper shot just wide after Dickson fed him from a short free kick, and Sean Dixon - who was outstanding at the back - also went close with a far post header just before the break.
Half time 3-0 up game over.....you'd think so!
The second half started the same way and Sam Morrison went close when a corner flew past him in the box, on the line, any contact and it was in but somehow he managed to miss it. That surely would have sealed it but in true Tweedmouth fashion, they took their foot off the gas and allowed Dunbar back into the game when a speculative punt into the box was misjudged by Oliver Black in goal and it sneaked under the bar, but Black was soon to make ammends when he clung onto a close range thunderbolt free kick - any form of rebound would have been tucked away by the onrushing Dunbar forward line.
Tweedmouth still had plenty in the locker and should have added more when Leiper was unlucky to see his 30 yard volley crash against the bar and Gunn should have completed his hat-trick when through one-on-one with the keeper but he shot tamely into him.
As the partizan crowd cranked up the pressure in the 69th minute Dickson saw red for retalliation after a crude challenge from behind, Tweedmouth had a battle on their hands now as Dunbar went for the throat.
But for all the huff and puff it was Tweedmouth who could have secured it easily when both Moran and Paul Rutherford missed good chances.
Then in the dying seconds of the game Dunbar scored their second with a good header from a corner. From the kick off the ref blew the final whistle and Tweedmouth had won. This was nothing more than they deserved after a terrific season achieving promotion too, for the second season running.
Thanks to 'tweedmouth juniors.co.uk' for sponsoring the match. Also a massive thanks to the travelling support who helped overcome any home bias at a neutral Dunbar.
Under 13s
WHITLEY BAY ...................5
BERWICK RJ .....................0THIS was Berwick's penultimate game of the season and they knew that victory would seal the league title for them.
A decent first half saw them go 1-0 down, but they were still well in the game.
However, in the second half they were taught a harsh lesson when continued fouling against them was ignored. Their heads started to drop and this allowed Whitley Bay to get on top and they ran out comfortable 5-0 winners.
BERWICK RJ .....................3
NEWCASTLE CITY ...........4BERWICK'S final game of the season was the title decider against City, who went into the match just one point in arrears.
It was even from the start. City took the lead, but Berwick equalised when Kieran Ingram headed in from an Adam Rutherford corner.
City again took the lead after 30 minutes, but another Rutherford corner was this time headed in by Harry Borthwick and the teams turned around at 2-2.
In the second half play was again end to end and Berwick went close through Keenan and Dixon.
City again went in front at 3-2, but again Berwick responded and Jack Young netted to make it 3-3, which would have been enough to give the young Rangers the title.
But with five minutes to go their hearts were broken when City got their fourth, which turned out to be the winner, and it was the Tyneside boys who took the championship.
Berwick can now look forward to next season when they will again come face to face with City as both teams have gained promotion to the NABC league division two.
