Dalbeattie Star v Threave Rovers

SILVER LINING FOR STAR
Dalbeattie Star lifted their first piece of silverware this season after a thoroughly deserved victory over Threave Rovers in the final of the Potts Cup. Goals in each half from Scott Milligan and Alex Maxwell were what separated the teams at the end of a memorable 90 minutes for the home side. Manager Paul Laurie was naturally delighted with the result and the display of his side. “I’m delighted for everyone, we caused Threave problems when we went forward but we had quality all the way through the team. I’ve told the lads to enjoy themselves tonight, but we have  even bigger games coming up on Saturday and next week, and we need to try keep up this level of performance.”
With a cup up for grabs there was a lot more intensity in this match compared to the meeting two weeks ago and not an inch was asked or given in the opening exchanges. The first effort on goal came from the visitors in the 15th minute when Sam Warren fired a free kick over the bar from 25 yards and seconds later it was Star’s turn to threaten. A long clearance from Stuart MacPherson caught out the Threave defence and Scott Milligan nipped in and took the ball round keeper Parker but the angle was too tight for a shot at goal and the chance was gone. A minute later Grant Parker broke clear down the right and his cross just evaded Milligan in the centre but the striker retrieved the ball and laid it back for Hugh Cameron who blasted high over.
Although possession wise it was a fairly even start, it was the home side who looked the more dangerous in the final third and on the half hour they made the crucial breakthrough.  From the edge of the D,  Milligan curled in a beauty of a free kick that beat Parker all ends up but it crashed off the underside of the crossbar only for Grant Parker to head the rebound over the bar with the goal gaping. However luckily for Negri the linesman had flagged that the ball had already crossed the line from Milligan’s free kick and the Star were ahead. The visitors argued furiously about the award but the person who had the best view of the action was the person who gave the goal.
This naturally gave the Star a lift but clear chances were still at a premium though Cameron did warm the keepers gloves in the 41st minute and two minutes later Rovers had their best effort of the first period when a Warren corner was cleared to Scott Wilby whose crisp drive was headed away by Stuart MacPherson.
The only change at the start of the second half was by Threave who pushed Warren further forward to exploit his pace in a more advanced position but it was the home side who still looked more likely to score. In 55 minutes a superb diagonal run by Lewis Sloan saw him beat a number of players and he set up Cameron. Scooby delivered an excellent cross right on to the head of Milligan who looked certain to score his 50th goal of the season but his header from 6 yards hit the underside of the bar and the rebound would just not fall right for Parker and the ball was eventually cleared. Alex Maxwell was then introduced to the action and within 5 minutes he gave the Star a vital second goal. On a swift break Curtiss Wilson fed Sloan wide on the right and his superb cross was perfect for  Maxwell and he made no mistake with his head from close in .
It was no more than the home side deserved as when you play a side of the quality of Threave then you know they will come back at some time. However it was still the Islecroft side who looked more likely to add to their lead. A last ditch tackle by Liam Patterson stopped Milligan getting a clear run on goal and with just 9 minutes left Sloan cut in from the left, beat a couple of players only to see his shot come back off the post to deny him a goal he more than deserved. Threave, as always, were very tidy in possession, but they lacked penetration in the final third with Donley and Middlemiss becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of opportunities created for them. Despite enjoying a two goal cushion, Star was desperate not to give the visitors a sniff of a chance as a goal late on would lead to a nervous last few minutes. The home defence though stood firm and Graham Wright was well protected in the home goal all night.
There was a mighty roar when the final whistle was blown and captain Rab Harkness then collected the trophy from Dick Shaw. Every player in red and black played their part in a fine victory but as the manager said there are even bigger games looming on the horizon. If they can continue to play at this level though,  there is a fair chance the Potts Cup will not be the only piece of silverware sitting in Islecroft at the end of the season.
DALBEATTIE STAR 2         THREAVE ROVERS  0 Milligan (30) A Maxwell (63)
DALBEATTIE STAR: Wright, Wilson, Robinson, R Maxwell, MacPherson , Fergusson ,  Cameron (Kerr 90), Harkness (capt), G Parker (A Maxwell 58), Milligan, Sloan Subs not used: Wells, S Parker, Dingwall, Yellow Cards: G Parker, Wilson THREAVE ROVERS: Parker, Wilby, Warren, Green, Patterson, Struthers,  Dunglinson, Forsyth (Milligan 80), Donley, Baty, Middlemiss Subs not used: Bell, Durham, Murray, Cook Yellow Cards: Baty, Green, Patterson
Ref:  S Jamieson Assistants: J McCunnie , J Myles