Moray welfare football trio Aberlour Villa, Hopeman and Portsoy make progress in Scottish and Highland cup competitions
Three Moray welfare clubs have made progress on the national and regional stage.
Hopeman were in action in the Donald McNair Scottish Cup first round away to Forres and Nairn welfare league side ESCT (Elgin Sports Community Trust) Academy on Sunday.
It was fairly plain sailing for Hopeman when they raced into a 3-0 half time lead thanks to goals by Calan Munro (2) and Iain Lunan.
The Elgin side got one back before Matt Herley and Chris Cooper added to the visitors lead and they were eventually winners by a 5-2 margin.
Joining Hopeman in round two are Aberlour Villa after a win in the only all-Moray league clash at Lhanbryde United.
In horrendous conditions, Villa took the lead after ten minutes when Reece Cooper headed home at a corner.
Midway through the first half, United keeper Stephen Dey stopped a one-on-one break by the visitors but the ball fell to Cooper on the edge of the box and he beat the last defender before stroking in his second of the game.
Just before half time Lhanbryde got one back when Craig Sim and Tommy Henderson combined for Sim to flick into the path of Campbell Dawson who slotted home.
Play opened up in the second half and on the hour mark, Aberlour restored the two-goal gap when Marcus Murray met a cross ball with a header over Dey into the net.
Lhanbryde pushed hard in the final 20 minutes but couldn’t find a way through the Villa defence as the Speyside outfit won 3-1.
Portsoy are through to the second round of the Tom Hunter Highland Welfare Cup.
Two goals either side of the interval eased ‘Soy to a 4-0 success over Badenoch United.
Leyton Boyd and Ethan Cole netted two good goals to give the home side a nice cushion at the break.
A great finish by Taylor Barron made it 3-0 and an own goal completed the scoring for the Banffshire side.
Portsoy are back in action tonight (Tuesday) in the Abbeyside League away to champions FC Fochabers, while Craigellachie host RAF Lossiemouth in the night’s other match.
