Grampian Ladies couldn’t dampen the spirits of SWF Championship Cup winners Dryburgh Athletic, losing 10-1 to the Dundee side at Spain Park.
A goal looked certain early doors as Grampian goalkeeper Mel Dalgarno was met with one-way traffic from the whistle, but despite Dalgarno’s early saves the Dundee side took the lead in the seventh minute with Hope Ramage finding the net with a shot from inside the box.
Dryburgh doubled their lead only minutes later as Stacey McFadyen latched on to a mistake in Grampian’s midfield and carried the ball with pace before striking from the edge of the 18-yard box to make it 2-0.
The away side would have been full of confidence coming into the match after picking up their first piece of silverware last week, and it showed on the pitch as they controlled the game with Grampian seeing little of the ball in possession.
But Grampian made the most of any chances they got, and managed to pull a goal back as Emily Reid was in the right place at the right time to pass the ball into an empty Dryburgh net on the half-hour mark.
Reid was left with the easy task of scoring in an empty net as the initial shot from Hannah Snow was freakily blocked and saved by a Dryburgh defender and goalkeeper Chantelle McKay on the edge of the 18-yard box, leaving the goal entirely exposed.
Grampian’s goal looked as if it had got them back into the game, but Dryburgh scored two more goals in quick succession courtesy of McFadyen and Alma Codegoni, making it 4-1 just before half-time.
Dryburgh made it five early into the second half with Ramage getting on the scoresheet again, and the goals kept on coming as a quick-fire double from McFadyen gave the away side a 7-1 lead.
McFadyen’s pace was too much for Grampian defenders Susan Murray and Norma Wregg as the Dryburgh forward did well driving forward towards goal, before cutting the ball back to Ramage who made it 8-1.
Dryburgh’s second-half substitute Beth Collins only added to Grampian’s misery, scoring her side’s ninth goal of the day with a superb strike from distance.
It was a day to forget for Grampian as the game ended with Dryburgh on double figures after Katie Hassett’s header from a corner five minutes from time made it 10-1.
Elsewhere in Championship North
Dryburgh’s victory at Grampian sees them stay level on points with Inverness Caley Thistle who beat Buchan 5-0 at Inverness Royal Academy, as the Highland side remain in third on goal difference.
In a north-east clash, Westdyke returned to action after three weeks off by beating Stonehaven 8-0 to go level on points with Grampian.
