Match-winner Andrew Macrae revealed a half-time rollicking from manager Craig Campbell helped Brora Rangers to North of Scotland Cup glory.
Macrae grabbed the winner in the Cattachs’ 2-1 victory over Clachnacuddin at Grant Street Park.
The Sutherland side were made to work hard to win their eighth North of Scotland Cup and their sixth out of the last nine and with the score 1-1 at half-time boss Campbell wasn’t happy.
Attacker Macrae, 24, said: “It was a scrappy game, when you come into a cup final form goes out the window.
“Neutrals might have said beforehand that we should win comfortably, but Clach did well.
“They knew what we were trying to do and stopped us doing it, it was a hard-fought final but in the end I felt we deserved to win.
“First half we weren’t up to scratch and Clach did well so we got a bit of a rollicking from the manager.
“We did all right in the second half and once we got the second goal I think we controlled it quite well.
“I can’t really say what Craig said, but his face was as red as a tomato going mental at us.”
Macrae’s second half strike was his first goal in a cup final and he could be quids in as a result.
He added: “That’s the first time I’ve scored in a cup final, I’ve played in three and never really done anything in them so I was pleased to get the winner.
“One of my mates messaged me on Friday and said if I scored the winner he’d give me £50 so he was the first person to get a text after the game.”
Cattachs get the job done
Reflecting on his first North of Scotland Cup triumph as a manager, Campbell said: “It’s a cup final and we’ve won it.
“In terms of performance in the first half I thought we were very poor by our standards.
“But Clach made it a really difficult game. Before the game I said it was about winning cup finals and we’ve done that so I’m proud of the players.
“(At half-time) there was a lot of swearing, shaking the head, shouting and telling them what we weren’t doing well enough.
“I think in the second half when we made a couple of subs Ali Sutherland was excellent and gave us a foothold in the game.
“We kept the ball in better areas, we passed the ball a bit better and credit to them.
“We want to win trophies and to get one early in the season is a bonus for us.”
Early action
In front of a crowd close to 1,000 Brora started well with Macrae’s fifth minute snap-shot blocked by goalkeeper Martin MacKinnon.
Two minutes later they took the lead with Jordan MacRae latching on to Dale Gillespie’s ball in behind and lobbing the advancing MacKinnon. The ball found the net despite Ben Cormack’s best efforts to clear.
Shortly after Macrae wanted a penalty after going down in a challenge with Cormack, but referee Gordon Seago was unmoved.
Clach then found their stride and Gary Warren tested Cattachs goalkeeper Ruardhri Nicol with a header from a Robbie Thompson corner.
On 24 minutes Shaun Sutherland cracked a shot against the crossbar from 20 yards, but four minutes later the Lilywhites restored parity.
Thompson’s neat pass found Lewis Mackenzie, whose first touch took him into the area and in between Ally MacDonald and Josh Meekings, before he poked a finish beyond Nicol.
Before the half was out Paul Brindle fashioned an opening on the right side of the area but dragged his shot wide, then Thompson stung Nicol’s palms within 30 seconds of the second period starting.
But, on 66 minutes, Brora bagged their second. Gillespie’s corner from the left broke to Martin Maclean at the back post and his cross-cum-shot was bundled home by Macrae.
A few minutes later Ali Sutherland sent a lob on to the roof of the net.
The closest Clach came to an equaliser in their first final since 2014 were shots wide from Ross Logan and Donald Morrison.
Clach’s North Cup wait continues
The Lilywhites haven’t won the North of Scotland Cup since 2001.
Boss Jordan MacDonald said: “It’s got to be a starting point. We can’t accept coming here and losing, it’s sore.
“To lose a cup final in the manner we did is a sore one. This has got to be a starting point for us.
“Two mistakes have cost us, but the second goal is a sore one.
“We’ve switched off and there’s two men free at the back post. You can’t give Brora space and time and in the main we didn’t.
“It’s disappointing, but there’s two ways forward. We can sulk and moan about it or we can use it as motivation to try to get back to days like this.”
