Celtic Boys turned on the style in the final of the Celtic Golden Jubilee Cup as they completed the league and cup double. The P Gibson League winners raced into a 5-0 half time lead, and despite an improved performance from Mearns in the second half, held on to clinch the silverware.

These sides completed their league campaigns at the end of April, and champions Celtic wasted no time in opening the scoring. Josh McGuire was sent in behind the Mearns defence, and the pacey striker made no mistake as he fired past Ian Strachan after four minutes.

When Ben Lunn misjudged a ball into the Mearns box, there was only ever going to be one outcome as McGuire fired in his second of the afternoon.

Dougal Makepeace had Mearn’s first sight of goal moments later when he dragged a shot wide from 18 yards before Strachan denied McGuire his hat trick with a smart save.

The resulting corner saw Strachan deny Cody Holt from close range, but the keeper couldn’t prevent Liam Keith squeezing the loose ball into the bottom corner.

Celtic added a fourth with 21 minutes on played through Jamie Murray. McGuire slipped the ball into the winger, who curled a shot into the bet from the left angle of the box.

Mearns nearly pulled a goal back when a long free kick found its way through to Ross Akers, but Lee Duncan denied him at point-blank range.

McGuire completed his hat trick in first half injury time when he turned in the box and fired a shot high into Strachan’s net.

The second half was only a few seconds old when McGuire had his next chance but couldn’t add to his tally when he fired wide. Mearn’s Matthew Brown pulled one back when he netted after a fine solo run into the Celtic box.

Celtic wasted no time in re-establishing their five-goal lead when Keith looped the ball over Strachan for his second of the match.

The scoring continued when Kyle Reid rifled a free kick past Duncan from 25 yards. After a poor first half showing, Mearns were beginning to hold their own in the match.
16 minutes from time, McGuire stroked home a penalty to give Celtic a 7-2 lead.

A goal line clearance from Robbie Burnett stopped Mearns falling further behind before they pulled another goal back with seven minutes remaining. Brown latched onto a weak pass back to Duncan and guided the ball past the keeper.

Strachan was called into action deep into injury time as he kept out Aidan McMahon’s close-range effort.

This was very much a game of two halves from Mearns, who struggled to get out of their defensive third in the first half but were more than a match for Celtic in the second 35 minutes.

As the first Mearns side to play 11-a-side football, this group of players had already written themselves into the club’s history books, and their performance in the second half suggests that this won’t be their last cup final appearance.

As for Celtic, this result caps off a very impressive first season at 11-a-side football. Given the near month-long break between their final league match and the cup final, there may have been a chance that Mearns could have caught them off guard, but they put on a display well worthy of champions.

Next season will present new challenges to them, but on the form they have shown this season, they are not a side to be taken lightly.