Match-winner Magnus Watson was thrilled to help Banks o’ Dee make history as they won the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup at the first attempt.
The Aberdeen side defeated Inverurie Locos 1-0 at Fraserburgh’s Bellslea to become the first club to win the cup – which was first played for in 1946 – during their first season in the Breedon Highland League.
Winger Watson’s strike early in the second half separated the sides in a tight final with victory capping a whirlwind campaign for Dee.
In October they were deducted 24 points in the league and also thrown out of the Scottish Cup for fielding an ineligible player.
Watson said: “It’s great for the squad and for the club, it’s been a tough season with what happened earlier.
“But to win this cup is great and it’s been the target for a wee while.
“It was a tough game, Inverurie are a good outfit, but I thought we did well to get the win.”
Reflecting on his goal the 20-year-old added: “Canto (Chris Antoniazzi) has come in from the left and put the ball over the top.
“I took a touch out of my feet and just thought ‘hit and hope’ and luckily it’s gone in the top corner which was good.
“It was probably the one moment of quality, there wasn’t too many chances for either side.”
Target achieved
Winning the Highland League Cup has been Dee’s target for much of the campaign and co-manager Paul Lawson was delighted to make it happen.
He said: “After we beat Forres in the quarter-final everything was built up to the semi-final against Buckie.
“You get through that and we’ve had a number of tough games over the last four or five weeks and we’ve been trying to manage the squad looking towards this game.
“This was the target and now we can start focusing on next year.
“There’s a number of players that have been here a lot longer than me and they’ve created history for the club on numerous occasions.
“This was another chance for them to do that and they have.”
Lawson and Josh Winton took on the job of co-managers at Spain Park until the end of the season after Jamie Watt – who is now Inverurie’s assistant manager – was dismissed in January.
Lawson, who also won the League Cup in 2018 while manager of Formartine United, added: “We got handed the chance to take the team on.
“For the first two rounds Jamie was in charge so he’s had a small hand in it, although I know that’ll be small consolation for him.
“We’ve taken the team on, they’re a great bunch of lads and we’re just looking to carry on the success they’ve had in the last couple of years.
“I don’t know (what the future holds), for myself there are personal things I need to think about. There’s been no discussions and we’ll enjoy this and see where things go.”
Moment of magic makes the difference
Graft from both teams wasn’t in short supply in the first period, but craft to carve out openings in front of goal was in short supply.
Locos goalkeeper Andy Reid made a couple of routine saves from Kane Winton and Neil Gauld, while at the other Robert Ward flashed a snap-shot over.
A moment of real quality in the 53rd minute was the difference. Chris Antoniazzi weaved in from the left flank and played a tremendous ball in behind for Watson on the right side of the area and he lashed a superb shot into the top left corner.
Inverurie upped the tempo in the quest for an equaliser. Calum Dingwall’s free-kick from 25 yards was parried by goalkeeper Andy Shearer before Nathan Meres scuffed his effort on the rebound.
Shearer made another good stop midway through the second period from a powerful Dingwall drive, while at the other end Watson hit the side-netting after good set-up work from Gauld.
In the closing stages Locos pushed more bodies forward and put plenty of balls into the box but an equaliser, which would have forced penalties, didn’t come.
Boss Andy Low said: “I’m a little bit disappointed with how we played in the second half.
“Although we were the team on the front foot I would have liked us to get the ball down more and create more opportunities.
“It was happening in little stages and I would have liked it to be a bit more relentless.
“I felt we had the better chances in the game but I’m not one for hard luck stories.
“You’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net and Banks o’ Dee have done that so credit to them and they’ve got the trophy.
“It’s a new group under a new management team and we hope this is the first taste of it (finals) and they can use that hurt and anger in the next final we take part in.
“We don’t know when that will be but I don’t think it will be too long.”
