Miller times it just right . .

Published on Saturday 25 April 2009 10:10

ICE-COOL netminder Shaun Miller saved two penalty flicks as Inverleith regained the Scottish under-18 hockey cup at Peffermill after a gap of five years, writes NIGEL DUNCAN.

The 17-year-old Leith Academy pupil broke the hearts of plucky Strathallan School who came from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 with only three minutes of the final remaining.

Miller, who is currently in the Scotland under-18 squad, had earlier made several telling stops as the Perthshire students turned up the heat.

Inverleith's skipper Chris Duncan fired his team ahead following a penalty corner in the first half before Strathallan claimed two second-half goals.

Duncan netted again from an acute angle in the dying minutes to set-up the penalty shoot-out and Miller, who transferred from CALA Edinburgh to Inverleith at the start of the season, said: "When it comes to penalty flicks I look how the player sets up and determine which side he is going to put the ball.

"I was disappointed that two went in but I'm delighted to have played my part in Inverleith winning the cup and to have picked up gold." The medal made it a golden double for the Miller household as his younger brother Darren, 13, picked up a winner's medal in the Plate Final when CALA Edinburgh beat Harris 13-1.

Miller makes a habit of saving from the spot and it is the third cup game this season in which he has starred in a shootout.

He saved two in the Scottish Cup quarter-final under-18 game against Watson's and he also stopped two for Inverleith's second team in the District Cup quarter-final tie against Anchor.

Chris Sutherland, one of Scotland's best ever hockey experts, guided CALA Edinburgh Girls to a 6-1 success over Glenalmond in the Scottish Under-18 Girls Cup Final.

The only disappointment for Edinburgh on the day came when Mary Erskine's lost to Glasgow-based GHK in the Girls' plate final.