Friday 27 July 2007, 7:15pm
McCook Cup Final

AVIEMORE THISTLE 2-4 CARR-BRIDGE

This was a game Carr-bridge should've walked on paper as Aviemore's extremely makeshift side took to the field for the first 10 minutes with only 10 men. However it became clear from the outset that the home side weren't about to simply hand over the McCook Cup without a fight.

With only 6 minutes on the clock, some very sloppy Carr-bridge defending allowed Aviemore to take an early lead. This perhaps acted as a spur as Carr-bridge then began to up the pressure, eventially leading to Marcus Forrest equalising with a fine 20 yard strike into the top left corner.

Forrest celebrates his goal with his team-mates

Aviemore then responded imediately, coming close only 2 minutes after the equaliser. They then beat Carr-bridge's offisde trap to go 1-on-1 with keeper MacDonald, only to strike wide when scoring would've been easier. Play then raged back and forth until 40 minutes when Carr-bridge won a corner and Scott MacDonald headed home to go 2-1 in front on the stroke of half time.

Scott MacDonald's header finds the net

Aviemore came out after the interval fired-up, and almost immediately Gordie MacDonald pulled off the first of several vital saves, brilliantly tipping a netbound shot over the bar. Following a goalmouth scramble, Aviemore broke upfield once more and MacDonald was on hand again, this time diving to his left to fingertip the ball past the post.

But Carr-bridge absorbed the pressure, and on the hour mark a Scott MacDonald shot rebounded off the bar and fell to Bowles who found the empty net to give a 3-1 lead. And 2 minutes later Peter Zsedely found the net for number 4, hammering home a 25 yard strike via a despairing keeper's fingers.

MacDonald was once more called into action when he saved a point-blank effort only for 2 Aviemore attackers to colide a send the rebound over the bar. Aviemore found the net with 20 minutes to go but the effort was disallowed for a foul on keeper MacDonald. Cleary he didn't enjoy the attention as he was booked for a bit of afters as tempers began to fray a little.

And with 7 minutes left, MacDonald secured his MOM award by denying Aviemore once again with another save under pressure. But as time ticked away, Aviemore were awarded a penalty which was converted to make the score 4-2. This turned out to be the last kick of the ball, and Carr-bridge were crowned McCook Cup champions 2007.

CHAMPIONIES!!!

Carr-bridge MOM: Gordie MacDonald

Scorers: Forrest, S.MacDonald, Bowles, Zsedely

Team: G.McDonald, Bowles, Zsedely, Cormack, Wilkinson, S.MacDonald, McGowan, Forrest, McGeoch, McGowan, Gordon

Subs: McIntosh
Not used: None

Booked: G.MacDonald
Sent off: None

Half-time: 2-1