Caithness crowned with historic first-ever ScottishPower Highlands & Islands league title

Caithness Ladies have lifted the ScottishPower Highlands & Islands League trophy for the very first time after a pulsating 11-1 victory over Fort William in Thurso in their final match of a historic season on Saturday.

Top scorer Shannon Campbell scored five goals to reach over 40 goals for the season and round off an incredible campaign in which they won all league games and only conceded 10 goals.

The team was pipped 1-0 by Shetland in the ScottishPower League Cup final two weeks ago.

It is the first silverware won by the club since it formed 16 years ago. The runners-up spot was decided on Sunday, with Clachnacuddin securing the three points in a 3-2 win against Sutherland to clinch second.

This meant Fort William, in their first season in senior competitive women’s football, achieved an impressive third spot.

In the Barclays Championship, Bonnyrigg Rose produced a thrilling second-half comeback to bring Elgin City’s unbeaten home record to an end in Scotland’s third tier.

The visitors enjoyed the best of the opening 20 minutes, with Rose midfielder and stand-in skipper Kazya Stevens hitting the bar early on, but then Elgin striker Mia Lundberg found the net with a chip and Sarah Westwood doubled the hosts’ lead ten minutes later to give them two-goal cushion. However, Stevens converted a penalty after a Marika Bereznaka handball to reduce the deficit at half time, before equalising directly from a corner on 55 minutes.

Despite losing keeper Denise Dudgeon to a head knock, Bonnyrigg pressed their foot to the accelerator and Khya McGurk grabbed a clinical four goals and Jen Brown added another after a driving run to earn the visitors a 7-2 win.

Rossvale beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4-1 to remain top of the table, an Emily Dalgetty hat-trick helped Forfar Farmington blow away Ayr United 8-2 at home and East Fife beat Dryburgh 2-1 in Methil. Dunipace and Stirling University played out a pulsating 4-4 draw.