Hockey: Late heroics from Forsyth ensure Scottish Cup glory for Kelburne

A BRILLIANT deflection by Alan Forsyth, with the last hit of the game, gave Glynhill Kelburne a dramatic 2-1 win over a dogged Grange side in the Arthur McKay Scottish Cup final at Peffermill on Saturday.

With the contest heading towards a draw and a penalty shoot-out seemingly inevitable, a last-ditch Kelburne attack saw Chris Nelson’s inch-perfect cross diverted into the Grange net by the Scotland striker. The entire Kelburne team then engulfed their hero Forsyth in spontaneous celebration, while the crestfallen Grange players simply slumped to the ground in disbelief.

It was a cruel blow to a Grange side that had been outplayed for most of the first half, but had improved greatly after the interval.

Grange had opened brightly with an early chance falling to Duncan Riddell but his snap shot went wide of the target. Thereafter, the Paisley side took control and went ahead at their second penalty corner through Forsyth, who dispatched a low shot past Grange keeper Colin Johnstone. Kelburne should then have gone two up but Jonny Christie’s effort struck a post and Michael Bremner sent the rebound wide.

The Edinburgh side came out for the second half with much more purpose and were level after 11 minutes when Fraser Sands shot past Mark Fulton in the Kelburne goal. Things then began to heat up and Kelburne’s Chris Nelson and Duncan Riddell of Grange both paid a visit to the sin-bin.

Grange then won two further penalty corners but failed to score with either and in the final few minutes both sides had chances to snatch a winner. Then came the dramatic finale, a piece of sheer opportunism by Forsyth that sent the cup back along the M8 to Paisley.

The women’s final was a much more clear-cut affair as holders Grove Menzieshill saw off Tayside rivals VWS Dundee Wanderers 4-0 to complete the season’s league and cup double. It might have been so much more but for a series of crucial saves from Wanderers’ international goalkeeper Carmin Dow.

The first half was all Grove, right from the second minute the holders took the initiative at their opening penalty corner and a triple switch found Leigh Fawcett who promptly scored with a low shot past Dow. The second goal was only delayed by nine minutes, Ali Bell creating the opening and finding Linda Clement on her own in the circle and she immediately lashed the ball into the Wanderers’ net.

The second half was a carbon copy of the first with Grove clinching the tie with a third goal midway through the second half from Louise Campbell. A rare Wanderers’ penalty corner was the catalyst in Grove’s fourth goal when the ball broke to Campbell on the right and her cross was diverted home by Hazel Hall, in off the post and the body of a Wanderers’ defender.

However, Edinburgh dominated the plate finals as Inverleith took the women’s trophy with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Erskine Stewarts Melville, the sides having finished level at 2-2 in normal time. Meanwhile, CALA Edinburgh took the men’s title with a 3-2 win over Alpha Data Carnegie, their goals coming from David Patterson, Karl Clarke and David Guy.