Buckie Ladies were left speechless after winning the Highlands and Islands League Cup – which is their first ever piece of silverware.
The club, who were only established five years ago, beat Sutherland 3-1 on penalties after the game was tied at 2-2 after extra time.
Buckie took the lead after seven minutes through Abbie Louise Marshall, but Trisha Macrae pulled Sutherland level with the last kick off the ball in the first half.
The eventual winners went 2-1 up in the 73rd minute thanks to Lori Lappin’s strike, but it was short lived as Rachael Sutherland equalised two minutes later.
After a tense set of penalties, Buckie lifted the trophy in front of a healthy crowd at Station Park in Nairn, which left manager Melissa Smith and her players lost for words.
She said: “It’s just overwhelming. To come from where we have – the highs and the lows – it’s been tough, so to win a final and come away with a trophy is just amazing.
“We were a bit lost for words yesterday and we’ve come a long way – it means the world.
“The hard work, dedication, passion and talent of all the players have got us to where we are now.
“We’ve made history. It’s so important for the community of Buckie, which I told the girls after the game.
“We have a player pathway here right down to under-10’s and they were there in their kits cheering us on.
“To have all of them involved, hopefully it can inspire them. It’s so great that they all enjoyed their day – they’re the future of Buckie Ladies.
“It’s a privilege really and I’m just so proud to be part of it. It means so much to us all.”
Buckie’s penalty heroes clinch the cup
The Buckie boss wanted to be prepared for the game to go all the way, so practiced penalties at their last training session before the final.
But when it became clear the cup would be decided with penalties, Smith became concerned, as at their spotkick training session all but one of her player’s missed.
However, when it mattered, all of Buckie’s penalty takers hit the target, while their goalkeeper Sophia Golebiewski saved two of Sutherland’s efforts.
The Buckie boss said: “The players seen my face when it went to penalties – I had to say to myself: try and be positive!
“The girls – and it was some who normally wouldn’t take a penalty – stepped up and I was really proud of them.
“I was really impressed by the composure of our penalties, and when Sophia saved two of theirs – it was just brilliant.
“We were composed – which I was surprised about after training, but they saved their good penalties for the final.”
