Incredible drama and action at Senior Schools’ Cup Finals 2024

18th March 2024

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Senior Girls Cup – Dollar Academy 4-3 Edinburgh Academy

A sensational Senior Girls’ Cup Final was settled by a last minute winner to give Dollar Academy a 4-3 victory.

The game was five minutes old when Sarah Cassells struck for Dollar, via an exchange with Emily Norval, to make it 1-0.

Megan Forrester made it 2-0 a short time later when a lovely pass found her in space, and with enough time to pick her spot, and slide the ball home for 2-0.

Edinburgh Academy began to play back into the contest, and then they pulled a goal back. A good challenge on the right flank sent Anika Miedema through on goal, and a sweet lob landed in the net to pull it back to 2-1.

A well-deserved equaliser was soon thundered home by Eva Hodge with a low strike against the backboard from a penalty corner. 2-2.

Early in the second half a good save denied Edinburgh Academy the lead when Anna Bailey was out quick to block a quick counter.

The Cassells and Norval combination nearly produced another goal for Dollar, but the final effort was well saved this time to keep the score even.

Norval came close again for Dollar when she deflected a crash ball towards goal, but it zipped wide of the left post.

Edinburgh Academy began to assert themselves on the match once again, and it brought another goal. The ball found its way to Miedema, who from a tight angle, fizzed a low shot against the backboard for 3-2.

It was Dollar’s turn to equalise when a swift move down the right was slammed into the bottom left corner by Cassells. 3-3, with three minutes to play.

Then for the finale. With 15 seconds to play Dollar fashioned an opportunity for Riley Thomson to blast a low thunderbolt home to win the cup with a 4-3 win.

Senior Boys Cup – Fettes College 5-0 Edinburgh Academy

A sensational cup final performance by Fettes College saw them win 5-0 to lift the Senior Boys’ Cup at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

Fettes took an early lead when an attack down the right was finished off low by Oliver Bennett to make it 1-0.

The positive start by Fettes continued as they applied pressure, looking for a quick second goal, but the Edinburgh Academy defence had other ideas.

Then Academy created an opportunity from a penalty corner and Harry Arthur came close through a deflected effort just over the bar.

Fettes almost doubled their lead when Jack Adams rounded the goalkeeper, but could only find the side net with the final effort.

The second goal came soon enough, and it arrived via a stramash in the circle that saw the ball bobble home through a ruck of players. 2-0.

The second half saw Fettes go 3-0 ahead, putting the Edinburgh side in a comfortable position.

Edinburgh Academy put in a shift, and worked hard down the flanks, but Fettes were a match to them and snuffed out any hopes of fighting back into the contest.

In fact, to rub salt into Academy wounds, Jamie Bruce popped up for a tap-in to make it 4-0 before Harry Armstrong rounded off the scoring at 5-0.

Aspire Girls Cup – Marr College 2-0 McLaren High School

It was Aspire Girls Cup success for Marr College with a 2-0 victory over McLaren High School.

Marr College took an early lead when a pass through the defence allowed Heidi Logan to turn and fire the ball into the bottom left corner for 1-0.

It was a good start to the contest for Marr College, as they enjoyed good pressure on the McLaren goal, but after the early goal McLaren stabilised with a good defensive structure.

As the first half progressed, the defensive base allowed McLaren to build and fashion a couple of chances of their own, but were unable to find the net.

Early in the second half, Logan went on a great solo run for Marr Hall, and fired wide of the left post.

A tremendous double save by McLaren goalkeeper Ruby Morrison denied Marr College a second goal.

The second goal came soon enough when Sophie Woodhouse squeezed the ball home from good range after some good build-up by Logan to give Marr College a 2-0 lead.

There would be no further goals in an exciting affair and it was success for Marr College.

Aspire Boys Cup – High School of Dundee 1-1(3-2) Trinity Academy

A close Aspire Boys’ Cup Final was settled by penalties as High School of Dundee was 3-2, after a 1-1 draw with Trinity Academy.

There was an early goal for High School of Dundee when Ptolmey Goad finished off at the far post with a tap in to make it 1-0.

Trinity Academy enjoyed a good spell of pressure and forced a couple of good saves as the half grew older, but were unable to find the net.

As the opening half came to a close the game raged from end-to-end with both goalkeepers producing saves, and a frantic finish saw the half end at 1-0.

Early in the second half a tremendous long pass sent Innes Anderson bearing down on goal for Trinity, but the Jacky Chen in goals was out quick to narrow the angle, and clear the danger.

As the clock ticked down Trinity had a real go at finding an equaliser, and played some exciting hockey. Then, with two minutes remaining, Zak Turtle fired home the equaliser to make it 1-1, which was how the match finished. Penalties.

A nail-biting shootout went the way of High School of Dundee with a 3-2 win to lift the Aspire Boys’ Cup.

Senior Girls Challenge Plate – Galashiels Academy 2-0 Albyn School

In a Senior Girls’ Challenge Plate Final, which ended with no goalkeepers on the pitch, it was the team from the south who beat the team from the north 2-0, for Galashiels Academy to lift the trophy.

Galashiels played the match without a goalkeeper and the extra outfield player advantage saw them take the lead. A lovely finish on the reverse by Teagan Greene saw the ball loop into the left corner for 1-0.

Albyn constantly found themselves swarmed by the white shirts of Galashiels, and try as they might, they couldn’t find an inch of space to fashion a shot at the keeperless goal. The first half ended with advantage firmly with the team from the Borders.

Early in the second half Albyn had a glorious opportunity to take advantage of the keeperless Galashiels, when they won a penalty corner, but the three pass routine failed to fashion a strike at goal.

In quick succession, Albyn not only had a second chance from a penalty corner, but a third, and still they couldn’t find the net.

With six minutes to play, Albyn took off their keeper to match up with Galashiels, and make for an entirely goalkeeperless affair.

In the closing stages it was Galashiels who would find the net as Greene bagged her, and her schools’, second of the match on a slick counter attack down the right. 2-0, and victory to the team from the Borders.

Senior Boys Plate – George Watson’s College 1-5 Stewart’s Melville College

A tremendous plate final performance by Stewart’s Melville College sees them lift the silverware with a 5-1 win.

An early goal in the contest went the way of Stewart’s Melville College with a low penalty corner strike into the bottom left corner. 1-0.

The lead didn’t last long and George Watson’s struck back when Jamie Leonard forced the ball home on a rebound to equalise. 1-1.

A Hamish Kinloch save, low to his left, just as half time approached, denied George Watson’s the lead at the break.

Jamie Henshaw restored Stewart Melville College’s lead in the second half with a low finish to make it 2-1.

Then Henshaw bagged another goal soon after his team’s second with another low finish to make it 3-1.

It went to 4-1 with three minutes to go when Ori Stilman slipped the ball home with a lovely finish.

The contest would end on a goal when Hamish McGowan sealed the victory for Stewart’s Melville College to make it 5-1 and lift the plate.

Senior Girls Plate – Fettes College 2-0 High School of Dundee

A competitive Senior Girls; Plate Final was won by Fettes College with a 2-0 victory at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

It was a fast and committed start to the contest with both sides coming out on full throttle.

High School of Dundee were denied from a straight strike from the top of the D by Erin Lee, which was met by a solid save from Pippa Kelly.

Fettes took the lead through a lovely passing move from the Dundee defence finished off by Marianna McLean. 1-0.

The second half was another close contest. First, High School of Dundee’s Niamh Cumming was denied by a superb sliding save as she popped up in a great position in the circle.

Then an Isabella Aird run into the circle saw her fouled for a stroke. Isabelle Alexander stepped up and fizzed the ball into the bottom left corner for 2-0.

High School of Dundee kept knocking at the Fettes door on the hunt for a goal, but it was not to be, and Fettes claimed the silverware with a 2-0 win.

Senior Girls Challenge Cup – St Columba’s School 0-1 Robert Gordon’s College

A very close Senior Girls’ Challenge Cup Final went the way of Robert Gordon’s College with a 1-0 victory.

A downpour made for tough conditions but both sides didn’t let it stop them passing the ball on the deck.

The contest was a midfield slog, and an even one at that, with the first opportunity going to Robert Gordon’s College through a penalty corner. The resulting effort was well charged down, and the danger cleared.

Early in the second half Robert Gordon’s took the lead. A one-on-one opportunity was finished off by Claire Jack to make it 1-0.

The game continued to be a midfield battle with both sides relentlessly fighting for the ball.

Some excellent last gasp defending by Kate Duncan denied St Columba’s a one-on-one in the closing stages, as they searched for an equaliser.

The equaliser continued to evade St Columba’s and Robert Gordon’s College claimed a 1-0 cup final win.