Salters increase roll of honours in Association Cup shakedown

The Edinburgh and District Premier League champions won the Association Cup final thanks to first-half goals from Kevin Cornwall and Paul Milligan at Saughton Enclosure.

Salters and opponents Oxgangs were unable to get to grips with the blustery conditions, which limited the number of chances throughout the match and made it all but impossible for the players to show their true quality.

Oxgangs took an early lead in the third minute from a free-kick taken on the right edge of the penalty area and it was a superb effort from Scott Thomson who curved the ball low around the wall, nestling it into the far corner of the net.

With so few chances available it took until the 36th minute for Salters to grab an equaliser. Then tall central defender Cornwall rose highest at a corner to head the ball firmly past Oxgangs goalkeeper Darryn Lunn.

And on the verge of half time, Salters scored what would prove to be the winning goal. Chris Robertson picked up a through ball from Kris Murdoch, and crossed the ball from the right bye-line.

Milligan got in between the two Oxgangs central defenders, John Begbie and Steven McArthur, and headed the ball powerfully into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

With Oxgangs playing with the wind behind them, they had the first opportunities of the second half. Ross Forrest twice found himself one on one with Salters goalkeeper, John Paget, but Paget managed to pull off good saves to maintain Salters lead.

A double save from Lunn kept Oxgangs in the match with 60 minutes played. A short Murdoch throw found Robertson. His cross to the far post met the head of Paul Nelson but Lunn made himself big to parry the ball. Nelson struck the rebound from a tight angle but Lunn tipped the ball wide for a corner.

Oxgangs kept the ball in the Salters half for large periods of the second half, but they produced little concrete threat for all that, and it was Salters who created a number of chances with their tactic of quick counter-attacking play.

In the closing ten minutes Robertson volleyed the ball narrowly over the bar after a low cross from Nelson.

Salters were able to hold onto the lead for the rest of the match and enjoyed a double celebration after the final whistle when they received both the Premier League trophy and the Association Cup.

Paul Milligan, the Salters player-manager, was delighted with the win, and the whole season. He said: "The game wasn't great. In the first half Oxgangs struggled to get out their half and in the second half Salters struggled to get out their half. We took our chances and fortunately our goalkeeper did really well. We just battled and grinded to the win.

"We've had an absolutely brilliant season for a team that is only five years old.

"We're easily the youngest team in the association and to win both the Premier League and the Association Cup is brilliant."

Oxgangs manager Tam Finnon felt that the wind dictated the flow of the game but looking ahead he has hopes for improvements next season. "It was a game of two halves because of the wind. It completely ruined the game. I thought we were the better team but they took their chances well and they worked hard to keep the lead.

"You just couldn't get a proper game of football with this wind. We didn't have a good season this season but we'll be back next year bigger and stronger," vowed Finnon.

This match brought down the curtain on the Edinburgh and Districts Sunday AFA, "The Fair Play League."

Salters AFC: John Paget, Kris Murdoch, Ryan Newton, Kevin Cornwall, Michael Jones, Paul McCallion, Chris Robertson, Stephen Brown, Keith MacFarlane, Paul Millican, Paul Nelson, Blair Mathewson, Richard Murray, Robert Tragis, Darron Smith, Stephen Crawford.

Oxgangs: Darryn Lunn, Steven McArthur, John Begbie, Michael Davis, Chris Kenny, Stewart Henderson, Jamie Wishart, Scott Thomson, Ross Forrest, Brian Baillie, Stuart Steele, Gary Walker, Chris Burns, Richard Davis, Jamie Finnen, Matt Gordon.