Unbeaten Ness win under-14 football’s Hastings Cup
Ness United have won the under-14 football league for the Hastings Cup for the second year running, defeating Rangers in their final match to remain undefeated.
Hastings Cup
Delting 0, Rangers 2
The teams started well with some good passing play from both sides. Rangers gradually started to gain control and created several chances, but were unable to breach the home defence with Liam Sutherland and Shane Macdonald standing firm in their central positions.
With 20 minutes gone Mathew Scollay put the visitors in front when his shot from the edge of the box found the back of the net.
The second half continued with Rangers pressing for a second goal and the young Delting team always looking to hit them on the break, but unable to grab the equaliser.
With five minutes remaining, following a good move, Ashley Govier cut in from the left and fired in the winner with a well-taken goal.
Both teams played well in an excellent, closely-contested game.
Rangers 0, Ness United 5
This was a crucial match for both teams. If Ness won or drew, they would win the league but if Rangers were to win there would be a three-way tie at the top.
Ness began strongly and put Rangers under pressure but Rangers had the first real chance on goal, when a long ball was put through for Ashley Govier to run on to, but Ness keeper Robb McDiarmid reached the ball first and was able to clear the danger.
Ness were rather nervous in the early exchanges, but when captain Calum Grant put in a nice low cross from the right, Stuart Manson was in the perfect position to tap the ball home.
The goal seemed to settle the Ness players who began to pass the ball well, but Govier remained a threat and on two occasions the long ball nearly caught out the Ness back line, only for McDiarmid to clear.
Ness continued to create chances, but it was almost half an hour before they scored again, when Harry Morton at right back put in a fine pass from wide for Grant to fire the ball home with a fierce shot from the edge of the box.
The second half saw Ness again putting Rangers under pressure and the third goal came after a corner had been cleared by Rangers, but was crossed back in for Grant to head home.
The fourth was a long-range effort from Morton from outside the box, which went through a pack of players with the keeper unsighted.
Ness continued to create chances but Rangers fought hard and had two other chances when Govier broke free, but on each occasion put his shot just wide.
Grant hit the corner of the crossbar with a looping shot from wide right and Joe Casey also came close for Ness when his fine shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto the crossbar and over by Rangers keeper Andrew Georgeson who brought off several fine saves during the game.
Morton crowned his outstanding performance with a fine, headed goal from a near perfect corner from Liam Henderson.
The Ness back line of Dylan Leishman, Jamie Slater, Kern Duncan and Harry Morton and keeper Robb McDiarmid kept another clean sheet, and ended their league campaign having conceded only one goal. Liam Flaws had another fine performance in midfield for Ness.
Rangers competed all the way and Christopher Thomason at centre back and the midfield pairing of Sam Constable and Joe Goodlad put in fine performances.
