Balmoral Stadium, AAFA Association Trophy Final, 17/6/25
Me still 346, Wee Man still 206
The quintet, the grand slam, the clean sweep, whatever you may call it, it is unprecedented in the 78 year history of the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association. With the Premier League, Premier Trophy, Aberdeen FC Trophy and the North of Scotland Cup already in the bag, Kincorth were looking to make history at a sunny Balmoral Stadium. A bonus game for Wee Man and me as it was originally down for Sunday which was not doable, but it was switched to tonight allowing our AAFA viewing season to continue for 90 further minutes. However, the game ended up being a bit on the one way side of things taking away anything of a spectacle in the Associations show piece season finale.
Kincorth came firing out the traps from the minute referee Mr Nicholson blew to start proceedings. They created a couple of chances in the first few minutes and it was really a sign of things to come. Seven minutes was all it took for KC to notch their first. After Woodside failed to clear their lines Forbes was on hand just inside the box to slash across the ball and send a quality half volley flying into the top corner. The ball was mostly being played in the Woodside half and it was only a matter of time before another KC goal came . I thought it was coming after a jungle run from Sean Lever from the wing and into the box saw the full back strike one but it flew inches wide and into the already bashed and dented sponsor board adjacent the goal. But it was not long before the second did come. This time after some great football from Kincorth saw Sean Cronin run through on to an inch perfect through ball which split the Woodside defence like the Red Sea. The KC number 10 made the finish look easy. 2-0 and only 15 minutes gone, and it could maybe have been more if truth be told. Woodside were getting the ball forward but it wasnt coming to anything to speak of, whether it was offsides or sound defending, it just wasnt happening for front two Chris Angus and Lee McKenzie. Woodside’s uphill struggle was to become even steeper when another immaculate through ball found Hall who calmly rounded Fraser in the Woodside goal to surely finish the game as a contest, this before the half time whistle had sounded. A massacre looked to be on the cards.
HT 0 v 3
As always at Balmoral we swapped ends for the second half as Wee Man likes to do. As we did we passed the Kincorth Young Team who were showing great ingenuity. Using traffic cones as megaphones. Top work. On the pitch the half opened with a bit of hilarity when the ref was flattened by I think Woodside man Dominic Gibb. Accidentally but funny all the same. The man in the middle had to halt play until he caught his breath again. Once restarted, in terms of the game, it had changed somewhat, Woodside were now in it. The balls played in the first half were now paying off. They were not bonnie by any stretch of the imagination but they were effective in getting behind the centre halves of Ifi and Ross. But the Side could just not get it in the net. A point of note, during one of these moves McKenzie beat Jarvie to the ball around six yards out and struck first time but from out of nowhere Jarvie’s hand came up to finger tip the ball off the bar and away. The distance between keeper and and striker was so close they could probably smell eachother’s breath. But the instinct of the veteran goalkeeper was truly outstanding. We were five yards away from it behind the goal and had the best view in the stadium and both agreed it was one of the best saves we have seen in a long long time. Funnily, it counted for nothing in the end as McKenzie was ruled offside. I did give Jarvie a wee shout crediting him though. Woodside kept at the task and continued to create chances off those direct central balls with the most clear cut falling to Mark Donaldson but he was thwarted by a fantastic last ditch Ifi outstretched leg. A fantastically timed challenge from the big man.Angus also had a massive chance when he was found in space 12 yards out but Jarvie got finger tips to the the fizzing shot sticking it over the bar. The men in white did nick one back through a freekick via Chris Steele. This after an amusing bit of shithousery from Angus who attempted to sabotage Jarvies setting of his wall. Did it work? Well aye because the strike was low and went past the wall into the bottom corner.Woodside were well on top in this second half and in typical fashion Kincorth restored their three goal lead with the goal of the game while under the cosh. A ball over the top found Kieron Wood free beyond the Woodside defence and with a wonderfully lobbed effort he sent the ball back across the goal over Fraser and into the net. The Woodside custodian had absolutely no hope with this. The goal absolutely killed the game as a contest. The match seemed to go through the motions for the remainder of the ninety. Donaldson had a chance for Woodside but missed the target by a couple of inches and in the process made Wee Man shite himself when the ball clattered the sponsor board in front of him. McAllister had an effort for Kincorth but it was high wide and handsome. Not much else happened until the last kick of the match when somewhat symbolically Kincorth grabbed a fifth goal to finish the game and cement their fifth trophy of the season(all won at Balmoral too). This via the boot of Wood again from a few yards out, although I may need corrected as the sun was setting viciously low above the Kincorth Nature Reserve behind the goal.(A daft change of ends from Wee Man). The final whistle was blown and the celebrations began with a pitch invasion. Us on the other hand got a blether with Mr Ellon Thistle, Tichie Birnie who was present as he is a life member of the association and was invited for a feeding and the game.
History made and them some. Make no mistake about it, this is a truly incredible achievement by Kincorth. An aging team too but stappit full of experience . To get through what must could possibly be a record number of games(potentially anyway)and still clean up is superb going and its a massive hats off from me. I just hope they have enough Brasso.
Entrance – Me £5, Wee Man £2
Attendance – 381 (Rough Head Count, but many stragglers appeared after)
Pie – £9, Pie, Coffee, Juice, Crisps
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 3, Wee Man 0 v 2
Season Score Predictions Totals – Me 6 v 4 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 