Perseverance pays off for Dunbar after going behind

Alistair Fell scored a sensational winner in the dying minutes to win the SERYFA Persevere Cup for home team Dunbar United Colts Under 13s, defeating Musselburgh Youngstars 2-1.

Fell latched onto a clearance on the right wing and accelerated past the defence towards goal. He then chipped the ball over the advancing keeper to win the cup for his side.

Dunbar’s coach Graham McPheat was overjoyed at winning the trophy especially as his team had to come from a goal down. “We were unlucky to be a goal down at half-time as I felt they scored against the run of play. However, full credit to the boys for getting back into the game and to keep going after their keeper pulled off two fantastic saves.”

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Musselburgh took a 1-0 lead into the half-time break through a strike from Liam Turner and it looked like that was enough to win the trophy, however, with only 15 minutes to play, Dunbar equalised through Struan Fenn before Fell took centre stage.

Musselburgh’s coach Stuart McDonald was, of course, disappointed but his team is in another final and battling for the league title. He said: “We played really well in the first half but I was disappointed to lose the two goals in the second half. We never really got the ball down and wide as we usually do. However this was the first cup final the team has been in so I am really happy at how far they have come.”

Dunbar could have taken the lead when Struan Young sent a fierce shot towards the top corner only to see keeper Calum Livingston tip the ball around the post at full stretch.

Musselburgh went ahead 25 minutes in with Liam Turner sliding in to tap the ball home from two yards out. Brandon Cullen, in central midfield, fed the ball out to Keir Donaldson wide right who flew past the full back prior to sending over a low cross to Turner who escaped the grasps of the defence and tapped into an unguarded net.

With Musselburgh holding a 1-0 lead at half-time, Dunbar came out pushing to get the equaliser and with 20 minutes gone in the second half they got their rewards. Ryan Bird flicked the ball clear of the defence and charged towards goal before sending over a cross to the far post where Fenn stood unmarked. After taking the ball down he unleashed a fierce right foot drive into the bottom corner.

Dunbar: Cameron McPheat, Jamie Brint, Corrie Sayers, Joe Cross, Charlie Skidmore, Dylan Chisholm, Struan Fenn, Alistair Fell, Fraser Souness, Struan Young, Robbie Leslie. Subs: Reece Peffers, Ryan Bird, Andrew Bennett, Jack Reid, Harry Christison.

Musselburgh Youngstars: Calum Livingston, Owain Ferguson, Lennon Wallace, Connor Ramsay, Ryan Fegan, Keir Donaldson, Ethan Clark, Keiron Wood, Liam Turner, James Kerr, Brandon Cullen. Subs: Josh Harvey, Charles Hamilton, Ben Riches, Cameron Crowe, Lewis Cranston.