For the third time in 2024 Dalbeattie Star lost out to Lochar Thistle in a cup final and like the previous clashes this was the tightest of matches that was yet again decided by small margins. But credit to Lochar who managed to find a way to win when the match was in the balance and were able to add to their impressive growing trophy haul. The match was played in atrocious conditions with storm Darragh threatening to spoil the occasion but full marks to both sets of players for ignoring the overhead madness and simply getting on with the game in hand.
Star started with just one change to their recent line up with Phil Middlemiss stepping in at left back to replace the unavailable Adam Jamieson. The Islecroft side started brightly and got themselves off to a flyer by opening the scoring inside two minutes. Cammy Bryson played a superb pass to Luke McMurtrie down the right wing and no one can catch the Star full back when in full flow. His cross into the centre was missed by both Dale Milligan and full back Reece Irving but the ball was perfect for striker Ross Hunter who smashed a first time left foot drive underneath the despairing dive of Lochar keeper Konar Pietsch. It was the perfect start for Star and they set out to press home their advantage. In an almost identical move to their opening goal McMurtrie again again crossed from the right but this time Reece did extremely well to slide in and block Milligan's effort. In the 15th minute Dan Carmichael did well to disposes Craig McKeand some 20 yards from goal but as Star's captain ran through the big defender got back to put Carmichael off balance just as he was about to shoot and he sliced his left foot shot wide off the target.
Lochar slowly played themselves back into the match and you began to wonder if Star would eventually rue the fact they were unable to increase their lead when they were well on top. In the 25th minute Lochar broke quickly and former Star striker Scott Milligan saw his shot deflected wide for a corner. The remainder of the half was fairly even with both sides forced to battle the conditions as much as they did each other. Star went in at the interval one goal to the good but knew there was still a long way to go before anything would be decided.
Four minutes after the re-start came the incident that would end up being the games biggest talking point, well certainly from a Dalbeattie perspective. Ross Hunter was played clean through and as Konar Pietsch came out to save the Star striker knocked the ball past the keeper and was completely flattened by the Lochar number one just outside the penalty area. Now the question here would have to be was Hunter denied a clear goalscoring opportunity as the challenge itself was not of a violent or dangerous nature. The fact the ball was still well in play and inside the penalty area would surely suggest the chance was still on especially with the keeper out of play and even if there was a covering defender then that would surely be irrelevant with there being no keeper in goal. Anyway the officials only get a few seconds to come to a decision and on this occasion the referee decided a yellow card was the right call, much to the dismay of the Star players and fans and much to the relief of the large Lochar contingent.
It is fair to say Star did not react well to this setback and Lochar took full advantage of the situation. To rub salt into the Star wounds Hunter would soon have to be replaced because of the injury picked up in his clash with Pietsch. Just after the hour the Dumfries side levelled and it was created and finished by a couple of former Star heroes. A quick turn from Lewis Todd inside the centre circle gave himself a yard or so of space and he played a superb pass that split open the Star defence. There was Scott Milligan running through on goal and as keeper Jake Gemmell came out to narrow the angle, Milly clinically slotted the ball past him with all the calmness we have come to expect. It was a sight so familiar to Star fans who had the pleasure to see him at his peak for many years and no one thought for a split second there was ever any chance he would not convert.
With Lochar now on top it was a question of whether Star could weather the storm or not and stay on level terms. In the 71st minute Robbie Hogg found himself with just Gemmell to beat and as he dinked the ball over the keeper but David Taylor managed to get back to knock the ball off the line when a goal seemed certain. However just four minutes later what would be the winning goal arrived. A cross from the Lochar right missed everyone in the centre and was collected by Finlay Kennedy. He headed towards the bye-line before driving the ball across goal towards the back post where the final touch into the net was applied by the unlucky Russell Williamson. The shot was probably on target anyway so it is only right to credit Kennedy with the goal.
Star had 15 minutes or so to try and force extra time and though they had a number of free kicks and corners they couldn't find the back of the net. The closest they came was when Connor Potts fired just wide with a right foot curling effort and David Taylor forced Pietsch to save from under his crossbar with a header. The final whistle went and Lochar were celebrating another cup success and we congratulate them for that. For Star it was a bitter pill to swallow but with football you have to take the lows with the highs. This was a match they will look back at and know was there for the taking, but they reacted badly to a huge setback, and these things are all part of the game.

LOCHAR THISTLE 2 DALBEATTIE STAR 1
Milligan (64) Hunter (2)
Kennedy (75)
HT 0-1 Att 350
LOCHAR THISTLE: Pietsch, Irving, Copland (Muirhead 65), Steele (Ferguson 58), Cameron, McKeand, Hogg, Kennedy, Milligan, Todd (Cairnie 81), Zygadlio (Turner 58)
Subs not used: Adams, Nicholson, Adamson
Yellow Cards: Pietsch, Muirhead, Ferguson
DALBEATTIE STAR: Gemmell, McMurtrie, Middlemiss (Meechan 85), Williamson, Bryson, D Taylor, Carmichael, Higgins (Williams 76), Hunter (Rogerson 58), Milligan (Shaw 76), Potts
Subs not used: E Gourlay, Green
Yellow Cards: Taylor, Shaw
Ref: A Halliday