STRACHUR-DUNOON were crowned South Division Two champions on Saturday after defeating Bute 3-2 in a winner-takes-all final-day encounter at Glendaruel.
The Blues went into the match one point ahead of Bute, meaning a victory or draw would have secured the title, while Bute needed to win to overtake their rivals at the top of the table.
The fixture also carried added significance given Bute’s 6-2 victory over Strachur-Dunoon in Rothesay earlier in the season which left the Cowal team bruised.
In front of a large crowd, Strachur-Dunoon made the stronger start and took the lead after 17 minutes when Martin Hall finished from close range following a pass from the left.
Hall struck again five minutes later, doubling his side’s advantage with a finish from a tight angle.
But Bute responded positively to falling two goals behind and began to apply pressure, with Robert Lowrie reducing the deficit after a passing move created an opening for the Bute forward.
Strachur-Dunoon restored their two-goal cushion just before the interval, however, when Hall completed his hat-trick with a long-range effort to make it 3-1 at half-time.
The second-half saw the intensity increase, with a number of strong challenges resulting in several yellow cards from referee Craig Scott.
Bute enjoyed more possession after the break and continued to look for a way back into the contest. Strachur-Dunoon, though, remained dangerous on the counter-attack, with the Bute goalkeeper making several saves to prevent the champions from extending their lead.
The visitors eventually found a second goal through Neil McKirdy, setting up a tense finish with five minutes remaining.
However, Strachur-Dunoon managed the closing stages and saw out the result to secure the South Division Two title.
Captain Cammy Middleton was presented with the trophy following the final whistle, with celebrations continuing into the early hours.
Hall was named man of the match after his three-goal contribution.
The result brings the South Division Two campaign to a conclusion, with Strachur-Dunoon finishing as champions and Bute having pushed them all the way to the final match of the season.
After the game, Strachur-Dunoon manager Andrew Rossi said: “I am very proud of all of the boys.
“We have climbed the league every year since we formed Strachur-Dunoon and it’s absolutely brilliant to finally be able to lift the South Two trophy.
“This year, forming a partnership with ColGlen has been fantastic and has really pushed us on, particularly in terms of training. Also being able to benefit from having some players from their wider squad available to us has made a huge difference. It has taken us from being a squad that was sometimes just a player or two short of winning games, to being a team that can compete consistently week in, week out.”
He added: “It hasn’t all been plain sailing this season.
“We’ve had various important players out with injuries and have been involved in some really tough games. Our last few games against Kilmory and Bute were especially hard-fought and I think both would have been great games for any spectators watching.
“We are all excited about next season and looking forward to the challenges that come with the step up into South One. I think our main objective has to be staying in the league and being competitive and with the squad we have at the moment, I think we can achieve that with some hard work and training.
“Beyond that, it would be nice to put together a wee cup run as well.”
