Brandane Bulls’ West Region Cup journey came to an end on Sunday as they travelled to face W Academy, a strong outfit competing in the Glasgow Youth Football League.
Played in wet and windy conditions, the fixture proved a stern challenge for the Bulls, who were eventually beaten 5–1 by a very competitive home side. Despite the scoreline, there was little to separate the teams in the opening stages of the match.
The first-half was evenly contested, with both sides working hard in difficult conditions, before W Academy opened the scoring at around the 20-minute mark. The Bulls responded well and were quickly back on level terms when Connor played Oscar through on goal, with Oscar calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.
The visitors came close to taking the lead soon after, as Robin again released Oscar, but on this occasion the chance just got away from him. W Academy then struck again just before half-time, sending the Bulls into the break trailing 2–1.
The home side maintained their momentum after the restart, increasing the pressure and extending their lead to 3–1 before adding a fourth midway through the second-half, following some excellent passages of play. Misfortune then struck for the Bulls, as a superb last-ditch tackle unfortunately resulted in the ball ending up in their own net.
Despite their best efforts, the Bulls were unable to create many clear chances in the second-half, and the match finished 5–1 in favour of W Academy.
It was an unfortunate result for the Bulls, who had been enjoying a great run of form prior to the tie. Coupled with the travel difficulties faced on the day, the commitment and effort shown by the players cannot be questioned.
Lucas was deservedly named Player of the Match after putting in a solid performance against a very difficult opponent.
