Shetland retain hockey county title after penalty flicks

Shetland have retained the Lady Hamilton Cup after beating Orkney 4-2 on penalties.

After a goalless match, including two periods of extra-time, the blues were victorious on penalty flicks to win in Orkney for the first time in over 40 years.

Keeper Megan Nicholson pulled off two stunning stops in the shoot-out before Megan Hibbert fired home the winning penalty.

Read our match updates below, and watch coverage of the match at the bottom of the page.

14:48 – Shetland have won the Lady Hamilton Cup again!

14:47 – 3-2 Shetland, Megan Nicholson saves again!

14:47 – 3-2 Shetland still, Lynsey Morrison’s effort is well saved.

14:46 – 3-2 Shetland, in to the roof of the net from Orkney.

14:46 – 3-1 Shetland, Emma Michael.

14:45 – 2-1 Shetland, Orkney miss!

14:45 – 2-1 Shetland, Kayleigh Irvine.

14:45 – 1-1.

14:44 – 1-0 Shetland, Kristan Robertson.

14:42 – Probably worth remembering that Shetland won last year’s Scottish District Cup final on penalties.

14:39 – And that is it! Penalties will decide who wins the 2024 hockey inter-county.

14:38 – Last chance saloon here before penalties, with Orkney on the ball.

14:35 – Unbelievable. Orkney miss an open goal, with Megan Nicholson prone on the ground, from yet another short corner. It trickles agonisingly past the past just as it looked like they were about to win the county.

14:34 – Wow, it’s cleared just in front of the line twice. The blues are hanging on a little bit here.

14:33 – Orkney break up the pitch at speed but they can’t carve out an opportunity. They do win a short corner though, and there’s more defending for Shetland to do.

14:32 – Short corner for Orkney after Megan Nicolson has to scramble across her box to save a shot at the back post. The blues get it clear, eventually.

14:30 – Decent chance for Orkney but a bobbled pass into the circle is finally cleared.The reds trying to turn the screw at the other end.

14:28 – Almost a golden opportunity for Kristan Robertson in front of goal, but the ball just doesn’t drop for her. A much better half so far for Shetland.

14:23 – The second half of extra-time gets under way. Can Shetland find a winner?

14:20 – A slightly controversial moment as the referee blows for half-time as Rhea Nicolson breaks up the pitch with the ball. She had possibly lost control of it, to be fair.

14:17 – Superb defending once again from Shetland. They’ve stood up to what the reds have thrown at them so well.

14:16 – It’s been all Orkney in this first half of extra-time, and they now have a short corner.

14:13 – Orkney hit the post again as they go so close to opening the score. Big let off for Shetland.

14:07 – Just a reminder that the football inter-county kicks off at 3.30pm. There will be a separate page and live-stream for that one.

14:05 – Back under way here at the start of extra-time. Mention in commentary of how tired the players are in this heat, but no concern raised about the fast-typing journalist’s fingers. Typical.

14:03 – So we’re going to have another two 15-minute halves, and then running penalties if we’re still level.

14:00 – Full-time at 0-0 here, and we are headed for extra-time to decide the winner of the Lady Hamilton Cup – not a Shetland win, as I previously thought.

13:58 – Excellent play from Kristan Robertson, who twists and turns the Orkney defence, but her pass back is cut out by the last defender.

13:55 – Orkney are being hemmed back now, as we near the end of the game.

13:53 – Shetland win the ball back superbly in their attacking third but Cara Leask is pushed slightly wide and can’t get a decent shot away. The blues’ press has been exceptional.

13:48 – And the short is then put into the side of the goal. Orkney are keen to get this done.

13:47 – Huge, huge chance for Orkney. Their forward is one-on-one with Megan Nicholson, who does brilliantly to slow her up and stop her going around her. The reds eventually win a short corner.

13:43 – Here we go for the final quarter of the game.

13:40 – That’s the end of the third quarter, and these two are still locked at 0-0. A goal from Shetland in this final quarter could see them end a 40-plus year wait for a win in Orkney.

13:38 – Now a chance for the blues, but the Orkney keeper kicks clear as Rhea Nicolson tries to apply the finishing touch.

13:36 – Huge chance for Orkney, but another big save from Megan Nicholson from a near-post shot. Shetland are being penned back now.

13:34 – A bit of confusion here, but Shetland seem to be a player down momentarily as Orkney win back-to-back short corners.

13:32 – A shot on goal from Orkney’s talisman Hannah Cromarty, but Megan Nicholson confidently kicks clear.

13:31 – Thankfully they make a hash of it and Shetland can get it clear. This quarter has been very disjointed so far. The blues will be delighted with how they’ve defended so far, though.

13:30 – Short corner to Orkney following a good save by Megan Nicholson. Another opportunity here for the reds.

13:29 – Good chance for Shetland after great work by Cara Leask, but Rhea Nicolson can’t get to her pass in the circle.

13:24 – Decent start to this third quarter for Orkney, but Shetland look dangerous when they win it back and counter.

13:19 – Quick reminder, as we wait for the restart, that a draw would mean Shetland will retain the Lady Hamilton Cup for another year.

13:17 – Not a classic so far – obviously, since I predicted it would be an “instant classic” in this week’s paper.

13:16 – And that’s half-time. Still goalless here.

13:12 – All very congested in the Orkney circle as the blues look to find a shot on target. Edgy is probably the best way of describing this game.

13:07 – Wow, so close to the opening goal for Orkney. A shot from an Orkney short corner is either deflected on to the post by Nicholson or by the last defender. Either way, they just about manage to keep it out.

13:04 – Big chance for Shetland now as the ball breaks free in the circle with the keeper on the ground, but nobody can connect. Still 0-0.

13:02 – Phew, it’s initially defended well but a kick out by Megan Nicholson only just evades an Orkney attacker right in front of goal.

13:01 – Orkney break up the pitch at speed and win a short corner. Early opportunity for the reds here.

12:59 – Good pressure from Shetland at the start of quarter two, Orkney pinned back in their final third.

12:54 – 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. Not too many opportunities so far, but Orkney have shaded it so far.

12:53 – Almost the opener for Orkney after a slaloming attacking run, but blues keeper Megan Nicholson smothers the ball and wins a hit out.

12:51 – Lynsey Morrison smashes a cross into the box, which the Orkney keeper kicks clear. A few loose passes at the back cause some issues for Shetland but Megan Hibbert clears.

12:47 – Shetland are coming into the game more now, Cara Leask and Rhea Nicolson both doing well to steal the ball off the Orkney defence.

12:44 – First opportunity of the game comes for Orkney, a shot being dragged just wide. More of a half-chance.

12:40 – Almost a great opportunity on the counter for Shetland, Kayleigh Irvine intercepting a cross-field pass but the ball bouncing on to her foot.

12:38 – No goal in the opening minute here, like in last year’s fixture. However there is a short corner for the reds.

12:35 – Fairly ominous stats in commentary there – 62 wins for Orkney and 17 wins for Shetland in the 89-year history so far.

12:30 – Just waiting to get under way here. In the first action of the morning, Orkney beat Shetland 2-1 in a veterans hockey game to mark 90 years of the inter-county.