Winchburgh, Glasgow City and Giffnock lift ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup
Winchburgh Albion 14s, Glasgow City YPL and Giffnock Soccer Centre 18s have lifted the 2024 ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup in their respective age categories after three thrilling finals at Ochilview Stadium in Stenhousemuir.
Winchburgh Albion had to see out a first half which their opponents dominated, Glasgow Girls’ Charly Rankin showing quick feet to create early chances and Glasgow keeper Leah Grieg showing great confidence in coming out to smother counter attacks to keep the game goalless at the break. The second half would tell a different story, however, as Winchburgh bundled in a goal from a corner early on, an excellent drive from Amy Cluness saw her dance past two tackles to poke home before Emma Miller lifted the ball over Grieg on the hour mark to secure a 3-0 victory.
Speaking to Youth Football Scotland afterwards, defender Mia Hendry said: “After we got the goals it lifted our spirits as team, knowing that we could then go on and win it.”
Giffnock Soccer Centre lifted the 18s cup thank to the heroics of goalkeeper Phoebe Stewart in a tense penalty shootout which followed 120 minutes of nervous stalemate. The keeper dove to her right to deny Glasgow Girls Laurie McCormack, who had placed her shot well.
After a first half which Glasgow Girls attacked with impetus through the pace of winger Amelia Barton and quick feet of playmaker Emma Louise Black, several Giffnock players had pulled up with cramp in the latter stages of the game, including captain Katherine Sharpe who had been busy at both ends of the park and eventually had to come off, but the East Renfrewshire side created chances of their own, including a penalty claim in extra time as Glasgow goalie Emily Hussey looked to take more of the attacker than the ball, but the referee waving play on.
Sharpe bravely returned to the field in a more advanced position for the final minutes and, thanks to her keeper in the shootout, led her side to the trophy.
Glasgow City claimed the 16s ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup in what would be a five-goal thriller against Youth Performance League rivals Musselburgh Windsor.
Right from kick-off, City striker Robyn Docherty was showing great awareness of Musselburgh’s offside trap and her ability to turn defenders to create a intriguing contest with Musselburgh goalkeeper Evie Thomas who, after Docherty had beaten her in the seventh minute rose to the challenge with a great performance.
With Docherty’s strike separating the sides at the interval, an unbelievable free kick from distance by Musselburgh’s Rachel Smith on 47 minutes provided a worthy equaliser, but City were ahead again within a minute, Laura Quinn heading home a well-placed corner.
With ten minutes remaining, a Musselburgh counter saw Riley Hamilton show great composure to slot home another equaliser, and the 400-strong crowd were preparing for extra time. But with a minute remaining City captain Darcy Greig took advantage of a stramash in the box to slot home the winner and send the Glasgow fans wild.
The ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup finals represented the climax of Scottish Women’s Football’s biggest cup competition, which saw well over 300 teams from all over Scotland enter at the start of the year, with medals and trophies handed out by VIPs Keith Anderson, James Reddington and Sasha Finn from title sponsors ScottishPower, Scotland’s Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health Jenni Minto and Cecil Meiklejohn, the leader of Falkirk Council.
