Strachur-Dunoon booked their place into the semi-final of the Bullough Cup last Saturday, May 21, in what was a comfortable 3-0 victory against a tricky Oban Celtic outfit.
Despite a poor start to their 2022 campaign, Strachur-Dunoon finally seems to be changing their fortunes of late, which was clear at Mossfield Park last weekend as the Cowal side recorded their best result of the season.
Strachur-Dunoon travelled to Oban with a sense of optimism, as their previous two performances have shown what the Blues are capable of.
Boasting a strong squad of 16, Strachur-Dunoon were up against an in-form Oban Celtic side who were victorious in their last three outings – including an impressive 4-1 victory over Inveraray.
However, this didn’t seem to phase a determined Strachur-Dunoon, who started off the brighter of the two. The Oban keeper was tested on a few occasions during the opening stages, as the visitors looked to put their mark on this cup contest.
Charlie Ferguson was enjoying a lot of the ball during the opening 20 minutes, and it was his long shy which found Brandon Wilson at the back post, who slotted home from very close range for his first for the club.
Another Ferguson set-piece would lead to his side’s second of the afternoon before the break, as his in-swinging corner eventually fell to Ross MacDonald who unleashed a powerful low strike into the bottom corner, giving the visitors a deserved two-goal advantage.
MacDonald would be forced off at half-time due to injury, allowing for the introduction of 13-year-old Hayden Thoms, with the youngster ready to make an impact for the first team.
Following a brief period of possession from the determined home side, Thoms would get his chance in the 70th minute, as his looping effort evaded the Oban Celtic keeper for Strachur-Dunoon’s third – a fantastic moment for the teenager.
The visitors remained in control for the remainder of the contest, in what was an excellent afternoon for the Blues who have been improving as a side every week.
Andrew Wilson, Neil Bo Ferguson and 17-year-old Fergus Reid all boasted excellent afternoons, with the three pivotal in ensuring their side’s cup victory.
Delighted captain Roddy Cairns praised the team’s performance. He said: “This was our most complete performance of the season. On the back of last week’s tight cup loss to Tayforth, the boys were keen to take that level of performance into a match against a team from our own division – and that’s exactly what we did.
“Oban Celtic are a good young side and had some quality and plenty of fight, but we felt that we were more or less in control throughout, and it’s satisfying to be able to say that.
“Every one of the match-day squad contributed brilliantly, and it was especially pleasing to see young Hayden Thoms scoring his first senior goal – the first of many no doubt, and well deserved for the effort he puts in every week in training.”
Strachur-Dunoon will have the tough task of welcoming Glasgow Mid Argyll in the semi-final, with the Yoker outfit currently sitting third in the league above. Nonetheless, the Cowal side will be looking to cause a cup upset.
