Fort William Under 14s were dealt a tough lesson in Scottish Cup football when they fell 4-0 to Banchory Bulls at home on the Lochaber High School astro pitch, writes Peter Newman.
The 2010 cohort had made it to the second round of the competition after a comprehensive 17-0 win over Buckie.
The youngsters battled well in the first half and, in a fairly even game, looked set to be well in contention as the half wound down.
However, Fort William lost a goal right at the end of the first half and, in the second, the wind made it hard for them to get back into the contest.
The performance included great defending from Angus Riddle and Finlay Gillespie plus top class saves from Kodi Cameron.
However, the weather conditions and stubborn play from the Aberdeenshire outfit saw the young team concede three goals as they struggled to get out of their own half.
Manager Mikey Gillespie said: “It was a good experience for the boys. Although Banchory Bulls were the better team overall, we had our chances and played well in patches. It is always hard when you are just learning the game and have to contend with weather that strong and, on the day, that told across the 70 minutes.
“I’m very proud of the effort our Under 14s have put in and hopefully they can learn the lessons from the defeat and keep progressing. The club wishes Banchory Bulls all the best for the next round of the cup.”
The Banchory scorers were Ross, Jason, Brodie and Kayden.
Featured image: Kyle MacDonald races a Banchory player. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos. NO_F45_FortWilliamFCUnder14s_23_BanchoryBulls 02