Cumbernauld ladies lift league trophy

Cumbernauld were up against Ardrossan in the plate final which was played at Clydesdale pitches in Glasgow's south side.

After a scrappy start, Cumbernauld picked up the pace, but Ardrossan didn't sit down easily and made some good runs on the break to keep the Cumbernauld midfields busy. A foul on an Ardrossan striker in the circle gave the Ayrshire team a chance with a penalty flick.

Cumbernauld keeper Pamela Gray stepped up to the challenge and batted away the flick at goal to keep the scoring level.

This save buoyed Cumbernauld who stepped up a gear to take control of the game and a pass through from the midfield allowed striker Kirsteen Thompson to flick the ball into the net to open the scoring.

Cumbernauld continued to control the game and were awarded four penalty corners but failed to convert any, despite some fantastic shots on target by centre midfield Lisa McKendry.

A couple of changes at half-time gave Cumbernauld renewed energy and Thompson secured a second goal for the team. An onslaught by the midfield, led by Rhona Fraser on the right, saw McKendry flick the ball past the keeper to bring the score to 3-0.

The last 15 minutes of the game saw Cumbernauld back to the top of their game. The players' positioning allowed the team to have more space to pass the ball around, particularly with Debbie McRae on the right wing who put the Ardrossan defence under pressure to secure the fourth and final goal of the match.

Cumbernauld walked away triumphant to celebrate a good season all round!.

Captain Dawn Adams said: "This has been a great win to top off a great season for us. Winning the plate and coming third in division one has really encouraged the team and has put a smile on everyone's faces. We are an older team compared to some of the other teams we play against but this just shows that experience counts when it has to."

CUMBERNAULD: Pamela Gray, Sue Purdie, Angela Simpson, Lesley Smith, Elaine Cottrell, Catherine Duffy, Dawn Adams, Stephanie Rose, Rhona Fraser, Lisa McKendry, Carolynne Coole, Debbie McRae, Lyndsey McFarlane, Vicky Fiddes, Kirsteen Thompson.