Cup hat trick for Invercairn
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Invercairn United made it a hat-trick of successive Gordon Leask Memorial Cup triumphs - but were made to sweat through a penalty shootout by a dogged Mormond Thistle side.
After a goalless 90 minutes, United goalkeeper Iain Summers was the hero with three shootout stops as Andrew Ritchie delivered the decisive kick.
But the Strichen side will regret passing up a great chance at the end of either half in a final that produced little else in the way of goalmouth activity.
The extended lockdown meant this final took place more than seven months after the inital group games.
And in spite of this being far from a vintage spectacle, everyone involved in Welfare football will be delighted that occasions such as this are back on the calendar.
Invercairn's Daniel Reid had the first sight of goal after 14 minutes with a deflected strike that was well held by Mormond keeper Dean Allan, while Lee Wilby had a snap shot from the corner of the area palmed away midway through the half.
Mormond looked to be relying more on the counter in terms of their attacking play but laid claim to the best chance of the first 45.
Liam Allan found space on the left to square across goal and with the Invercairn defence missing the initial interception, the ball fell to Charlie Scott but despite two bites at it, he couldn't turn it goalward with a combination of Summers' goalkeeping and the United back line doing enough to get in the way and block.
The second half was again fairly nip-and-tuck with few chances - the fact it was both sides second game in four days (in fact their only competitive games of 2021) perhaps playing a part.
Invercairn defender Gary Summers saw a goalbound header cleared off the line with 12 minutes remaining.
But Mormond had a chance to nick it at the death when Allan was sent in on goal from a flick-on, but perhaps opened up his body just too much with the finish as he slipped it wide of the far post.
There was still time for keeper Summers to deny Allan's low 25-yard drive as penalties loomed.
But despite missing their first penalty, Invercairn came up trumps in the shootout with Summers' trio of stops denying Thistle and securing new Belger boss Fraser Watt a trophy in just his second game in charge.
Mormond Thistle: Dean Allan; Leslie Fulton; Neil Thomson (Steven Panton 73); Calum Brown; Daniel Smith; Martyn Robertson; Liam Allan; Fraser Davidson; Charlie Scott (Scott Wisely 57); Sandy Maitland (Ryan Greig 45); Jake Rennie (Michael Cardno 77).
Unused Sub - Ryan Wilkinson
Invercairn United: Iain Summers; Cameron Falconer; Daniel Cowie; William Third; Gary Summers; Andrew Ritchie; Arron Gray (Aaron Garden 70); Daniel Reid; Natty Arkwell (Jack Cowe 85); Lee Wilby; Owen Sutherland.
Unused Subs - Stuart Noble; Marc Summers; Ewan Taylor.
The 2021 league season finally gets underway with fixtures for the forthcoming week are as follows:-
Monday, May 31 - Methlick v Longside Thistle - League Two; Ardallie v Glenugie United - League Two
Tuesday, June 1 - Cuminestown v St Combs - League Two; Peterhead United v Elizabethan Link Up - League Two; Macduff v Boddam United - League Two
Friday, June 4 - Bellslea v Station - League One; Invercairn United v Buchanhaven - League One; New Pitsligo v New Deer - League One; Boddam United v Methlick - League Two; Elizabethan Link Up v Cuminestown - League Two; Longside Thistle v Ardallie - League Two
Saturday, June 5 - Banff Rovers v Mormond Thistle - League One; Mintlaw v Haven - League One; Glenugie United v Macduff - League Two; St Combs v Peterhead United - League Two.
