Vale girls retain league cup
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DEVERONVALE Under 15 girls retained their league cup by defeating Aberdeen FC Ladies 2-1 at the weekend.
The result also saw them gain sweet revenge for last week’s league defeat at the hands of the city team.
In a closely contested game, it took extra-time for Vale to secure the match and see the cup come back to Banff.
The game kicked off in blustery conditions, and it was Vale who created the first opening with Gordon’s cross into the box being too strong for the forwards to reach.
Aberdeen’s first chance came minutes later from a Cowper free-kick 25 yards out, with Vale keeper Flaherty saving comfortably.
Next chance fell to Vale, when Esslemont’s pass up the left wing found Nichol on the edge of the box, but the forward put her effort wide.
McAllan got on the end of a Paterson free-kick after 13 minutes, but her shot was saved by the Dons keeper before Aberdeen came close on 16 minutes, with their forward shooting wide of the post.
Four minutes later and Vale took the lead, with Marshall picking the ball up on the right wing, beating her marker, and floating the ball over the keeper in a carbon-copy of her goal the previous week.
Aberdeen’s MacVinish broke down the left on 25 minutes, but could only shoot into Flaherty’s hands from the edge of the penalty area.
Aberdeen then equalised when a corner found the head of Reid, the smallest player on the pitch, who glanced the ball through a ruck of players and beyond the unsighted Flaherty.
The second-half started where the first left off, with another Aberdeen free-kick just outside the box. This time Cowper chose to chip the wall, but a forward had crept offside.
Nichol had a header saved from a stray ball in a goalmouth scramble on 45 minutes, before finding herself booked five minutes later for an unfair challenge, which even the Aberdeen bench found hard to believe.
Chances for Johnstone, McAllan and Nichol for Vale, and MacVinish for Aberdeen proved fruitless, before the Dons number 16 had a glorious chance five minutes from time, only to see her shot clear the cross bar.
It took until the second half of extra-time for Vale to get their winning goal when Palmer was bundled over inside the penalty area, giving the referee an easy decision.
Up stepped Gordon to slot the spot-kick beyond McMillan, to the cheers of the large Vale support, and ensure the trophy returned to Canal Park.
Deveronvale: Flaherty, Esslemont (captain), Palmer, Paterson, Gordon, Marshall, McAllan, Nichol, Johnstone, Brindle, Smith. Sub: Cook.
This Saturday they return to league business when Forfar Farmington visit Canal Park for a 10.30am kick-off.
