Shetland win third straight Milne Cup after last-gasp goal

A last-gasp Lewis Harkness goal in extra-time saw Shetland retain the Mine Cup for a third year in a row.

After Orkney took the lead in the first half, Finn Regan levelled with a stunning goal from 30 yards out.

There were no more goals as Shetland squandered chance after chance, taking the game in to extra-time.

And a minute after Orkney almost snatched an unlikely winner, Lewis Harkness – who was voted man of the match – ghosted past a defender before striking in to the far corner to make it 2-1.

That made it a famous away double for Shetland in the senior inter-county, after the hockey team’s penalty shoot-out win this afternoon.

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

18:05 – SHETLAND HAVE WON THE MILNE CUP!

18:02 – Just a couple more minutes for Shetland to hold on to win their third successive Milne Cup.

18:00 – Rory Henderson smothers a loose ball and collapses on to it. Lewis Harkness has been named man of the match pitchside, which is thoroughly deserved.

17:59 – Unbelievable! Sensational from Lewis Harkness, who beats his man and cuts inside before firing a stunning shot in to the far corner. What a goal and a deserved one for Harkness!

17:58 – GOAL 2-1 SHETLAND!

17:57 – Massive, massive chance for Orkney. They win the ball back after another poor free-kick from Shetland, and suddenly are three-on-one. But the pass is wrong and Rory Henderson is out swiftly to gather the ball, thankfully.

17:55 – Afraid not. The blues still look the likelier of the two to win this game.

17:53 – A chance to change that with another free-kick on the edge of the box. Lewis Harkness takes a sore one after some more good play from him.

17:50 – An early corner in the second period of extra-time but it comes to nothing. The blues haven’t really threatened from set-pieces.

17:46 – Half-time in extra-time, still 1-1. We’re just 15 minutes away from penalties now.

17:45 – Orkney’s Jack Patterson the latest in the book. Chance for Shetland to get the ball in the box.

17:42 – Another massive opportunity for James Aitken. Excellent from Gary Scott to play the one-two with him, and the Orkney keeper touches his shot wide as he bears down on goal.

17:41 – Incredibly coach Richard Arthur – who was only added to the squad after keeper Erik Peterson pulled out – is on to replace Lorne McNiven. What a story that would be if he could score.

17:40 – Superb from Finn Regan, Lewis Harkness and James Aitken, eventually winning Shetland a corner.

17:38 – A good chance for Lorne McNiven, James Aitken’s free-kick finding him deep in the box, but he heads wide.

17:36 – James Farmer has been brilliant today, on of the best on the pitch, but comically slices the ball the width of the pitch and out for a throw.

17:35 – Celtic’s Jack Simpson now on, replacing his club team-mate Jack Clubb.

17:31 – We’re back under way in extra-time. The last time an inter-county went to extra-time was in 2021, when Orkney went on to win 2-1 in Lerwick. Hopefully we’ll see a reverse here.

17:26 – Full-time, 1-1. Another 30 minutes here at least, then possibly penalties. For the second time today …

17:25 – Superb from Finn Regan but nobody attacks his clipped cross. It looks like we’re heading for extra-time.

17:22 – Gary Scott does brilliantly once again, but no one can finish his cut back. Shetland win a free-kick on the edge of the Orkney box, surely this is the final chance.

17:20 – Orkney with a late chance to put the ball in the box with a free-kick just inside the Shetland half.

17:18 – A superb run from James Farmer, and his cross almost deceives the keeper before he tips it away.

17:16 – A great one-two between James Aitken and Gary Scott, but Aitken’s shot at the keeper is tame. Calvin Leask then plays a shot directly at the keeper. All Shetland at the moment.

17:13 – So close from James Aitken. He breaks into the box and drags the ball just past the post.

17:10 – A great long ball comes in to Lewis Harkness in the box, but he chips in to the keeper’s hands. This game is becoming pretty fraught and end-to-end as we enter the final 10, including stoppages.

17:09 – Stuart Copland comes on to replace his Ness team-mate.

17:07 – The ball breaks to Gary Scott, but he makes a rare poor pass for Finn Regan and the counter-attack fizzles out. Another break as Liam Flaws goes down with cramp.

17:03 – Huge chance for James Aitken again. This time an Orkney punch out lands at his feet, but he drags a shot wide via a touch as he searches for the far corner.

17:02 – Bit of a break after an Orkney injury. Around 15 minutes to go before the possibility of extra-time and penalties.

16:59 – How has that not gone in? Gary Scott hits the post now after exceptional work by Finn Regan, and another goalmouth scramble somehow doesn’t go in. Shetland have done everything but score.

16:56 – So unlucky! Gary Scott rattles the crossbar as the ball breaks in the box, looping it over the keeper.

16:54 – James Aitken goes low but it’s cleared.

16:52 – He’s not so lucky now. Yellow card for a foul on the edge of the box, James Aitken standing over the free-kick.

16:50 – A let off for Orkney’s Aidan Drever, who fouls James Aitken after a clever touch but evades a yellow card. Even the BBC Radio Orkney commentary team thought that was a booking.

16:47 – Another substitution for Shetland, Neil Laurenson off for Connor Regan.

16:44 – Better from Orkney, who shoot wide from 30-odd yards. Up the other end James Farmer does brilliantly and wins Shetland a corner.

16:40 – So close to 2-1 Shetland, but the flag goes up for offside as a header is well saved by the Orkney keeper. A good start to the half for Shetland.

16:39 – Two loose balls at the back from Orkney are well chased down by Gary Scott, the keeper clearing the ball in to the striker and spinning wide.

16:37 – Huge chance for James Aitken now. Gary Scott does brilliantly to find space on the left and pick out Aitken in the box, but is half volley sails over the bar.

16:36 – A first sight of goal for James Aitken, whose shot from distance is comfortable for the keeper.

16:33 – The second half gets under way at Bignold Park, the blues shooting from right to left now.

16:30 – A change from the last few years, with these sides locked together at half-time. Shetland have been out of sight by the break in the last two years.

16:20 – Half-time, 1-1 after a very even first half. Orkney have looked dangerous when they’ve won the ball back in midfield, but Shetland have had the better opportunities so far. A cracking goal from Finn Regan the highlight so far.

16:16 – A late chance in the half for Orkney, but a turn-and-shot from the edge of the box is cleared.

16:13 – Somehow, Shetland don’t go 2-1 up. A penalty box stramash ensues from the corner, and Gary Scott tests the keeper from close range before the ball is eventually cleared after a scramble.

16:12 – Corner to Shetland now after a great run by Finn Regan. Him and Lewis Harkness have been very good so far.

16:09 – Unlucky from Calvin Leask, who breaks into the box and flicks the ball narrowly wide of the post.

16:07 – Corner to Orkney after the reds break in the middle of the pitch. It looks ominous briefly but Rory Henderson touches it wide.

16:03 – GOAL 1-1! Wow, what a goal that is from Finn Regan! Out of absolutely nothing, he cuts in on his right foot and curls the ball into the top corner from 30 yards. Outstanding finish.

16:01 – First yellow card of the game for Orkney’s Jamie Flett after a late tackle in the box. No doubt about that one.

15:57 – GOAL 1-0 Orkney. Jack Stout cuts in from the right side and the shot squeezes past Rory Henderson and in off the post. It looked like it bounced up in front of the keeper on the way in.

15:56 – Corner to Orkney, who are getting some joy down the right-hand side.

15:55 – Chance for Jamie Flett for Orkney, but his shot is weak and its an easy stop for Rory Henderson.

15:53 – Sam Maver has to come off already through injury, Whitedale’s Gary Scott his replacement. Not a bad one to have, given he’s Shetland football’s top scorer.

15:50 – James Farmer slices the ball out for an Orkney corner, but atones for his mistake by clearing it away.

15:45 – After all that, Orkney almost find an opener. Jamie Flett does well to hold the ball up and drives at the near post, but Rory Henderson gets down well to make the save.

15:44 – Good start from the blues, Lewis Harkness looking very sharp up top. He almost gets in on goal after a break of the ball.

15:40 – Two more decent opportunities for Shetland, Finn Regan headers wide after a deep cross from the left is tipped away.

15:38 – An early corner to Shetland is headed over the keeper and cleared off the line. Very nearly the opening goal there.

15:35 – An early half-chance, Sam Maver cutting in on his right foot but his shot at the keeper is tame.

15:33 – Kick-off, with the blues kicking from left to right in the first half.

15:25 – Our Orcadian commentators are reporting that Ness keeper Erik Peterson had to pull out of the squad late on due to family illness.

15:22 – Here’s the Shetland line-up for the game: Rory Henderson, Calvin Leask, James Farmer (captain), Lorne McNiven, Liam Flaws, Neil Laurenson, Jack Clubb, James Aitken, Lewis Harkness, Finn Regan and Sam Maver.

15:10 – So that’s one down, one to go in the senior inter-county … the football kicks off at 3.30pm, and the feed at the bottom of the page will go live 10 minutes before kick-off.