Aberdeen City lift 18s ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup

Aberdeen City have clinched the 18s ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup after controlling much of an entertaining final at Ainslie Park.

Emerging into heavy rain, Aberdeen seemed to handle the soggy surface better from the off, and after eight minutes Lucy Strachan carved out an opportunity on the left only to shoot just wide.

However, the Pars did well to battle their way in and get their foot on the ball, but Aberdeen kept control of the tempo and opened the scoring on the half-hour mark through Hannah Cameron, ghosting in from the right to finish well.

Dunfermline went straight up the other end and had vocal calls for a penalty after Lola Wilmhurst was sent flying in the box, but the referee deemed the defender had won the ball cleanly.

Aberdeen would double their advantage ahead of the break, Myah Rankin stopping the ball dead at the edge of the box to outfox the defender before firing it into the bottom left corner.

Dunfermline had another claim for penalty before half time after a defender appeared to tussle with Sophie Taylor’s ankle in the Aberdeen box, but the ref waved play on.

This clearly had the Pars fired up for the second half and they came out of the blocks full of intent. Lola Wilmhurst was the primary creative source, tenacious down the left and eventually the ball fell kindly to Kat Cairns outside the box and she finished well.

But Aberdeen City caught Dunfermline flat footed with a quick counter, Ava Adam running onto a through ball to finish for her side’s third. They continued to soak up Dunfermline pressure and use the counter attack for their chances, Olivia Fraser adding a fourth on 72 minutes. Dunfermline set everything forward for the closing moments but were unable to claw back another goal, meaning the City fans were in full voice for the final whistle.