Bayside bring ScottishPower 18s Youth Challenge Cup to Fife

Match report: 18s ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup

Aberdeen City 2-5 Bayside

Dunfermline side Bayside have won the ScottishPower Youth Challenge Cup after winning 5-2 in the final against Aberdeen City in Stenmhousemuir.

The Fifers clinched the final trophy of the day in a triple-header of finals at Ochilview Park with a strong second-half performance to clinch the trophy.

After an entertaining and competitive first half which provided a great showcase for regional girls football, Bayside turned up the intensity in the second half to secure the tie.

It was the eventual winners who appeared to have started with instructions to shoot on sight, testing City keeper Alexandra Yeats from kick-off, but Aberdeen used their strength to impose themselves into the game, and scored an opener after five minutes, Lucy Strachan rising to nod home a corner.

But Bayside ebbed back into it by regaining control of the midfield, and the Fifers equalised through Alesha McLean on twelve minutes, the number eight skillfully knocking it past the defender before slotting into the far corner. A dummy from McLean allowed Olivia Barclay to put her side in front eight minutes later from a similar angle.

Aberdeen were not out of sight, however. Ava Rankin dug in strongly on the right wing to cause problems, Bayside keeper McKenzie Pirrie produced a great point blank save before Aberdeen grabbed their equaliser through what could have been an own goal.

On the forty minute-mark Jessica Sinclair latched onto a clearance and scored into the top right corner from outside the box to restore Bayside’s lead once more which they took into half time.

Both sides continued to look sharp after the break, but it would be Bayside who would press the advantage and start to control the game. Ella Stevenson who would pounce on an awkward pass in the Aberdonian defence to slot home a fourth for the Fifers ahead of the hour-mark. Aberdeen conspired to create chances but they were falling straight into the arms of Pirrie.

And with just over ten to go, player of the match Alesha McLean latched onto a clearance to slot through the legs of defenders for a fifth, just after Yeats had made a great save to secure the cup.