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The tumultuous Scottish Cup finals continued with Barrhead YFC taking on Colony Loco, both sides hadn’t been on the best of from locally and that meant that the favourite was anyone’s guess. The Barrhead lads came into the game off the back of a dramatic 5-3 semi final. Whilst their opponents have to play against a massive Barrhead support and travel lag. The air was definitely electric and chants rang back and forward as both sides fancied their chances of bringing home the trophy.
Straight from kick off Barrhead almost bagged the opener as a hopeful shot from Brian Ashe slipped from Jordan Garrow’s gloves and landed on the roof of the net. Barrhead continued to apply pressure, looking to pacey winger Thomas McGaughey to control the flow of play.
Colony looked for an overlap and found some joy with Lukas Kennedy and Grant Dawson. It looked to be a well oiled partnership as Colony started to play through them as much as possible. The opening minutes were as torrid as the previous games’ final one, but this looked set to be a cracking final.
Barrhead threatened again as McGaughey broke down the left and cut inside, moving along the byline and playing it backwards Fraser McGlaughlin took a stab at goal only for the mess of bodies to prevent his effort reaching the 6 yard box. Nobody was backing down early on, but Barrhead looked the more likely to score in the opening minutes.
Number 5 John Planas came on with under 15 minutes played, an injured Ciaran O’Donahue coming off to make way.
A lovely bit of skill allowed McLaughlin to turn his man when the Barrhead attack was being crowded out – but in the end all he can get for his creativity is a corner.
Soon after it was a Barrhead free kick over 30 yards from goal. We saw a goal like it earlier, the only difference this time was Garrow got a glove to it. McLaughlin steps us as casual as you like and curls it right into the top right corner.
Barrhead pushed forward, they smelled blood and looked to take it with wingers and forwards all finding space. But almost right away Colony came close. Greg Wood getting one on one and it was only the strong gloves of Alistair Hughes that tipped it out for a corner, after it bounced ominously in front of the goal.
Colony began to establish a foothold in the game – playing in Daniel Crisp who was linking the midfield and attack very well, in the end though the Barrhead back four were standing very strong to keep out the Loco strikers, thanks in no small part to Anthony Etherson.
Brian Ashe then made it 2-0 for Barrhead scrambling from the ashes of a half chance. A great cross almost results in a goal and Colony’s Lukas Kennedy went down only for Ashe to slot home in a classic example of ‘playing to the whistle.’ That took a lot of awareness and composure and the ref had no choice but to keep the play moving to allow the second goal.
Colony began to try and find their way back in, pinging passes around between Crisp, Watson and Burr. But their great passing was far too deep and the Aberdeen side needed to show a lot more urgency to get back in the tie.
A great piece of passing from Crisp, he found Alex Duguid on the edge of the box, who slipped through a great weighted pass back to Grant Dawson who side-footed it past the keeper into the net to make it 2-1. Football is all about momentum and it looked here like the momentum was shifting to support the side looking for an equalizer.
The goal almost acted as a reset as both teams began to play like the game had just started – neither able to hold the ball for a particularly long time. But it was Kieran Lawrence who broke down the Colony left to get space, but in the end his cross was too late to get past the right back.
Then again the pressed on the opposite side Kennedy puts in for Duguid who tries a flick back into the centre only for it to be cut out by Sam McNeil.
Barrhead free kick from a very tempting crossing position out on the right, good left foot cross floated towards Ashe, but in the scrum it was punched out. It came back in to McNeil who turned and shot only for it to be deflected over the bar. The East Renfrewshire side then produced a creative set piece routine from that corner. Two short passes between Easdon and McLaughlin was then squared to Etherson who connected cleanly from 35 yards out, sending the ball sailing into the top right corner. The goalkeeper was rooted to the spot, without a hope of reaching the ball.
Burr took Colony forward on the counter, a lovely pass through to Crisp set up a great killing cross only for McNeil to block it and send Barrhead back up the park.
Front to back Barrhead kept up the performance, Etherson showing his worth at the back by preventing any chance of a chance before he cleared into row Z to take us into a halftime. Barrhead went in after a dominant half and the talking point had to be that 35 yard monster that put Barrhead 3-1 ahead.