Langlee Amateurs 6

Tweedmouth Amateurs 3

(after extra time)

David Knox

at Happer Memorial Park

LANGLEE completed a remarkable treble on Saturday at sunny Greenlaw.

But Arnie Turnbull’s team were made to work overtime to get their hands on the Waddell Cup by a classy looking Tweedmouth.

After knocking out Division A champions Hawick Waverley in the semi-final, Langlee went into this all-Division B final as favourites.

Tweedmouth, though, didn’t read the script and raced into a 3-1 lead inside 45 minutes.

Langlee showed plenty character and defensive stubbornness to take the match into extra time – and eventually run out winners.

Following the final whistle, manager Turnbull told us: “I couldn’t be any more proud of the players.

“I think Tweedmouth were the better team and we had to defend really well to stay in the game, but we showed what we can do when we get chances.

“That’s five trophies we’ve won and two promotions – that’s terrific for a team that’s just a few seasons’ old.”

Although Tweedmouth could be forgiven for being in the doldrums after the previous weekend’s Walls Cup final defeat to Langlee and being pipped at the post for promotion just a few days earlier by Newtown, they came flying out the blocks on Saturday.

And they were deservingly two goals up inside the opening seven minutes.

Kyle Wood’s third-minute bullet header was added to by a deft Shane Macgregor chip a few minutes later.

The Berwick team could easily have added another in the 19th minute but Jack Young headed Aidan Lauder’s cross inches wide of the back post.

Langlee had shown little in the opening exchanges but some neat footwork from Liam Wallace in the 24th minute allowed him to tee up Des Sutherland for a stunning strike into the top corner from 20 yards.

Suddenly the final swung towards the Galashiels team with Wallace and Sutherland both shaving the woodwork, and Matthew Tait producing a goal-saving interception as the pressure built.

But just before the interval it was Tweedmouth who regained their two-goal advantage with Aaron Hope’s looping header catching Stevie King in no-man’s land.

Langlee needed a response and it came just three minutes into the second half as Billy Miller picked his spot from some 25-yards out with a powerful shot.

But Tweedmouth responded well and put King under severe pressure with a stream of deep crosses.

Langlee were forced to play on the counter, and it almost led to Daniel Cairnie equalising in the 76th minute as he ran onto a Sutherland through ball only for Graeme Cain to save well with his feet.

Cairnie got his own back seven minutes later as Wallace did well to divert Allan Nicol’s cross beneath the Tweedmouth keeper for his teenage team-mate to score from close range.

Tweedmouth, though, should have went back in front and probably claimed the cup in the 88th minute as Hope was threaded in but King produced a remarkable block to take the final into extra time.

Wallace fired Langlee in front just four minutes into the added half hour after a well-timed lay-off from Sutherland.

And in the 109th minute a long hopeful ball over the top saw Wallace win the aerial duel with Cain on the edge of his area to run the ball into an open goal.

To add some icing to their treble-layered cake Michael Blackwood ran through to chip the Tweedmouth keeper in the final minute and spark ecstatic celebrations.

Langlee Amateurs. S King, S Harkness, B Lochrie (T Carlton-Smith 117), J Crawford, M Blackwood, A Nicol (M Turnbull 107), D Bolton, B Miller (M McAulay 57), D Sutherland (D Bond 106), C Campbell (D Cairnie 66) & L Wallace.