Evening Times Champions Cup Final

BEITH 4

PETERSHILL 1

By Stewart McConnell

Pictures: Ross Mackenzie

MIGHTY Beith completed a dazzling double as they lifted the Champions Cup for the first time in their history.

The Premier Division champions swept aside the understrength Super First Division winners, who had a host of players out through illness, injury and holidays, in a one-sided showdown.

In three minutes a Peasy attack was broken up by Keir Milliken who hooked the ball over the bar.

Darren Christie made a darting run before having his effort from inside the box deflected wide in eight minutes. Then from the resultant corner-kick a Christie effort hit the top of the bar and went over.

Skipper John Sheridan then headed the ball back to goalkeeper Stephen Grindlay under pressure from Peasy opponent Jason Hardie. However Beith seized the lead in 12 minutes when an Andy Reid shot was deflected into his own net by a Peasy opponent.

Peasy had a half chance in 18 minutes when Jordan Kennedy shot well over the bar from 25 yards.

The Super First Division champions were unlucky in 20 minutes when former Irvine Meadow man Chris Hall shot inches over the bar from 25 yards.

Reid saw his 12-yard drive blocked by a defender in 23 minutes as Beith pushed for a second.

Hall sent a 22-yard chip narrowly over the bar three minutes later.

Peasy had their best chance of the game so far in 28 minutes when a dipping Ciaran McElroy shot from 25 yards hit the top of the bar and went over.

The league champions doubled their advantage in some style in 39 minutes when a defence-splitting pass from Keir Milliken was swept home from 10 yards by Kenny McLean. A minute later at the other end Hardie shot inches wide from 10 yards,

A shot from Christie from 22 yards was saved by John Gibson in 51 minutes.

A Bradley free-kick into the box was cleared by the Peasy defence six minutes later.

Keir Milliken sent a pass to Joe Bradley, whose raking drive from 18 yards was well saved by John Gibson in 65 minutes.

Bradley saw his cross into the box cleared by the Peasy defence a minute later.

It was three and easy in 73 minutes when Bradley sent a precision pass to McLean who drove the ball into the bottom corner from 10 yards. Then in 75 minutes it was 4-0 when Paul Frize capitalised on a defensive mix-up to slide the ball home from six yards. At the other end two minutes later a 20-yard drive from McElroy was smothered by Grindlay.

Peasy netted seconds from time through Dylan Kennedy but it mattered little and the Beith celebrations could begin.

Johnny Millar's men dominated in all departments, with McLean,Sheridan and Mark McLaughlin especially impressive.

BEITH: Grindlay; McGlinchey, Milliken, McLaughlin, Sheridan, Wilson, Christie, Frize, McLean, Reid, Bradley. Subs: Docherty, Martin, Cunningham, McPherson, Digney.

PETERSHILL: Gibson; Stevenson, Wilson, Morris, Ketterer, Murch, McElroy, J Kennedy, Hall, Hardie, Cameron. Subs: McManus, D Kennedy, Graham.