St Johns Rovers turned in a convincing performance on a warm Sunday morning to lift the Stuart McPhee Cup with a comprehensive 6-0 defeat of local rivals, Kirkcaldy United.  3 goals in each half and an outstanding man of the match made it a day to remember for the Rovers.

 

Kirkcaldy United kicked off and their early pressure forced a corner in only the 2nd minute. They couldn’t capitalise on this early opportunity though and 4 minutes later were made to regret it as Stephen Girvin scored St Johns first goal, heading in from their first corner with the help of a deflection which caught out Hamish Kyme in the United goal.

 

In fairly even play Dylan Gilmour was beginning to exert some influence, fizzing a shot low past Kyme’s left hand on 10 minutes, and only a minute later he netted St Johns second, released with a wonderful through ball from Ross Slavin.

 

St Johns were starting to control more of the match now but Kirkcaldy United almost pulled one back on 18 minutes when Reece Mitchell ran on to a long ball from his own half and closed in on goal with 2 defenders tracking him, his neat attempted chip deflected wide at the last minute.  Michael Melvin and Harry Colquhoun were combining well for United although pressure from St Johns often forced their team mates into playing a longer ball than was necessary.

 

On 32 minutes Dylan Gilmour was unlucky not to score his second when he attempted an audacious backheel in front of goal when a conventional tap in would surely have scored, but a minute later St Johns got their third from a beautiful free kick, hammered low and hard from 20 yards by Ross Slavin.

The Kirkcaldy United half time team talk saw an immediate improvement in their play, using more of midfield and communicating much more effectively.  On 50 minutes Michael Melvin and Reece Mitchell combined well and only a last ditch tackle from St Johns Ryan Bell averted what looked set to be United's first goal.  

 

Kirkcaldy enjoyed a good 20 minute spell, taking the game to St Johns and looking for the breakthough, but cruelly, their efforts were undone with 2 goals in 2 minutes – Lewis Stewart knocking in a rebound from the keeper and then a second goal for Dylan Gilmour, finishing well from another good free kick, played deep into the heart of the United defence.

 

Not altogether surprisingly, the United boys began to lose heart at this point.  They battled on manfully but it was looked like there was no way back for them.  Dylan Gilmour was causing all sorts of bother on the right flank and on a few occasions ended up sprawling across the wet grass as the defence tried to shackle him.  Their efforts were in vain though, and in 74 minutes he turned provider after good work wide right, squaring the ball for Sam Brough to slam the ball high into the net for St Johns 6th.

 

And so it finished.  A deserved and convincing win for St Johns with Man of the Match rightly going to Dylan Gilmour for his outstanding display of technique, control and finishing.