Inverness Athletic secure first silverware with Football Times Cup win over Alness United
The Football Times Cup has a new name amongst its list of winners after Inverness Athletic fought back from a goal down to lift the trophy at Dalmore Park.
Goals in the final twenty minutes of the game saw Athletic run out 3-1 winners against hosts Alness United in an entertaining final as supporters braved the wind and rain.
RELATED:
But it was the home side who got off to the perfect start when they took the lead through Iain Ross after just eight minutes.
Athletic continued undeterred, however, and they levelled the scores on 32 minutes when Dominic Macaulay fired home a loose ball from close range.
The persistence of the Inverness side was apparent early in the second half with Dawid Sienkowski the busier of the two goalkeepers, and their pressure paid off with 70 minutes gone when defender Michael Mcrobert forced the ball home from a corner inside a packed penalty area.
With Alness pushing high up the park in search of an equaliser, Luke Mackay secured victory for the Inverness side when he hit an opportunistic shot from his own half that sailed over Sienkowski into an empty net.
Post-match, North Caledonian League president Niall Harkiss awarded the man of the match plate to match-winning sub Mackay, before inviting Athletic captain Calum Neil up to collect the trophy.
Addressing the teams, Mr Harkiss noted that the trophy was now in its 100th year, and that in this anniversary year, it was fitting that the trophy finds a new home with a club who had yet to win a trophy in the association.
The cup win is the first senior honour for the Inverness club in its short history since forming in 2016.
They had previously played in two cup finals - in 2018 and 2023 - finishing runners-up on both occasions.
Speaking after the game, Sandy Stephen, who has stewarded the club through its first nine seasons as chairman, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to pick up our first North Caley silverware. There has been a lot of hard work in the background by a lot of people. We have a lot of really good guys at the club.
“I am delighted for Stu, and Fraz, and everyone at the club. It’s been a long nine years. There’s been times when you think why are we doing this? It’s days like this that are the reason you do it.
“It makes you hungry for more, but winning a trophy at North Caley level is really hard. For now, it just feels really nice to see the Inverness Athletic name on a North Caledonian League trophy.”
Alness United: Sienkowski, R Ross, Sangwin, Gilliland, Boyd, Henderson, Graham, McKenzie, Fraser, Maciver, I Ross. Subs - Grant, Coli, A Mackay, Luke, Matejewicz
Inverness Athletic: Ross, Smith, Bruce, Mcrobert, E Neil, McCheyne, Mitchell, C Neil, Macaulay, Hulme, Macintyre. Subs - Fraser, L Mackay, MacRitchie, Watson, S Mackay, Macwilliams, Goddard
Referee: Stephen McDade
Assistants: Jana Brady and Gary Carroll
