Border Telegraph | Sport | Selkirk Kings turn on the flair

Monday, 6th October, 2008

Published: Thursday, 12th June, 2008 12:00

Selkirk Kings turn on the flair

By David Knox at Victoria Park

Comments (0)

Print Article

Selkirk 3 v 1 Lothian Thistle

IT was 30 years ago when, as a very small boy, I watched Selkirk last win a trophy.

Manager Ian Whitehead’s side beat Civil Service Strollers in a play off at Tynecastle Stadium to win the Scottish (South) Qualifying Cup.

And if my memory serves me well the score was 2-1.

Almost the entire Selkirk squad last Wednesday evening hadn’t been born when Whitehead’s reign led to a vast haul of silverware during the mid 1970s.

But they showed the same flair and determination during the second half of the King Cup final that the likes of Sandy Bell, Moray McLaren and Davie Dick had displayed all those years ago.

Wednesday’s first half wasn’t a classic.

The talented Dougie Blackley dictated most of the play with Thistle deserving their 18th minute lead through Sean Lally.

Selkirk looked jaded following their long and, admittedly, poor season.

Michael Romanes had made a few mazy runs and the full backs, Lee Stephen and Barry Mulvin, charged forward at every opportunity, but the city side were well on top.

And, at the break, most of the decent-sized crowd crammed into the Innerleithen ground couldn’t have expected the turnaround waiting for them in the second half.

A back injury to captain and centre half John Waldie forced boss Fraser Lothian into a reshuffle just a few minutes after half time.

And the more adventurous formation, with substitute Ian Potts sitting in midfield, paid dividends almost immediately.

Craig Livingstone latched onto a loose ball on 53 minutes to thread Stephen through on goal and the 21-year-old calmly rounded keeper Chris Clark to score the equaliser.

The game had suddenly swung – and Lothian Thistle looked shell-shocked.

Man-of-the-match Andy Brown burst down the left flank on 66 minutes to cross for Craig Lothian to nod home at the back post.

Potts and Craig Tyson worked tirelessly to prevent Thistle clawing their way back into the game.

And some decent challenges from Stuart Anderson and Gary Lothian kept the ever-dangerous Phil O’Neil at bay.

An inch-perfect free kick from Tyson on 76 minutes was nodded just wide by Livingstone as Selkirk searched for a third.

But Thistle also looked capable of finding the net with John Dodds making two spectacular saves in the space of five minutes.

With only four minutes remaining Brown made sure the cup was coming to Selkirk as he expertly chested down a long pass from Potts, and volleyed into the top corner of the net from 15 yards out.

The celebrations and euphoria that followed were, well, worth waiting 30 years for.

Manager Fraser Lothian told the Border Telegraph: “I think the players had stage fright in the first half – they didn’t do a thing they were told.

“But football is about picking yourself up and they did that. They got a row at half time and came out fighting.

“I thought we scored three good goals and certainly deserved to win the cup.”

Selkirk. J Dodds, L Stephen, B Milven, S Anderson, J Waldie (I Potts 51), G Lothian, M Romanes (A Jackson 73), C Tyson, C Livingstone, C Lothian & A Brown.

Comments