It was soon 1-1 when Bokas leapt to his left to block a
drive from Daniel Park and after a scramble near the base of the post Roddy
Black stabbed the ball over the line.
Academy immediately won a corner, flighted in by Richard
Macadie to Michael Steven whose 6 yard header flicked the top of the crossbar.
Academy soon regained their lead. Mackay chased back to win
the ball near the halfway line, surged down the right and cut in along the 18
yard line. Macadie meanwhile was jogging forward and in from the left. Mackay
slipped the ball through to him and he calmly steered the ball low into the
net.
The Scorries were flying high. After Weir was fouled near
the centre circle Stevie Cunningham pumped the free kick high to the penalty
spot where McKenzie jumped to catch it. The keeper tried a quick throw, a
defender panicked and kicked the ball against Macadie and it fell to Davie
Allan. He tapped it back Macadie who fired it against the bar. Then Mackay
chipped the ball over the top to Allan who took it to his right before it
pulling it back to Macadie who fired it just over the bar.
Cove battled on, Bokas diving to make a great save at the
feet of Milne and then catching a Black header on the goal line.
Just before the break Mackay who was clearly in the mood,
waltzed past three defenders before being tripped by Stephen Jeffrey who was
booked.
In the second half Academy withstood almost incessant Cove
pressure, the young back four of Shaun Sinclair, Alan Farquhar, Steven and
Cunningham concentrating hard to tackle, cover and make vital interceptions.
Efforts from Milne, Johnston, Park and Jordan Heads all went wide and Bokas got
down to smother two shots that were on target.
Determined runs up the park by Cunningham, Allan, Weir and
Mackay relieved the siege around the midway point. Cove pushed forward again
and after a Kevin Stewart shot was deflected for a corner, Steven Tosh shot
wide.
Mackay and Weir worked the ball upfield and on to Cunningham
inside the box on the left. Unable to line up a shot the youngster pushed the
ball to Macadie who from near the spot steered it low to McKenzie's right. As
the ball nestled in the corner of the net the Harmsworth Park
crowd went wild in jubilation.
There was more to come. After Bokas dived low to his right
to hold a downward header from Black, Weir headed the ball away from his marker
on the halfway line and raced up the left to win a corner and then a free kick.
After another Cove attack was thwarted by Gary Manson,
Cunningham sent a defence splitting pass up ahead of Mackay who ran into the
box and swerved an unstoppable drive past McKenzie.
A mixture of scintillating passing and do or die defending
had been rewarded with a 4-1 win.
Sponsors Man of the match Richard Macadie
Pictured receiving his award from Iain Edmonstone on behalf of match sponsor Sinclair Windows
