Ayrshire Schools Under-13 Cup Final

PRESTWICK ACADEMY 3

BELMONT ACADEMY 2

by Stewart McConnell

FORM horses Prestwick Academy won their third trophy of the season in style on Wednesday night.

They edged South Ayrshire rivals Belmont in a five-goal thriller at Dam Park Stadium.

Prestwick opened very strongly and in three minutes Euan McIver shot narrowly wide from 12 yards. Three minutes later Prestwick were in front when a shot was cleared off the line by a Belmont defender and McIver pounced to ram home the rebound.

Then in 14 minutes Belmont goalie Brodie Stakim pulled off a great save to foil Ashton Agnew from just inside the box. Four minutes later Prestwick goalie Joe Morrison showed his class, pulling off a fine save to foil Aaron Murray.

In 28 minutes the Ayr school equalised when a Ben Strain free-kick crashed off the crossbar and the ball was cleared, but only as far as Robbie Meiklem, who knocked it home from 10 yards. Morrison pulled off a top drawer save to foil a Belmont player from the penalty mark right on half-time.

Fifteen minutes after the break, Euan Robertson blasted home from 12 yards to restore Prestwick's lead.

However, just four minutes later, it was all-square again when Lauchlin Clark netted from inside the box.

Then in 66 minutes Joseph Banks drilled the ball home from 16 yards to put Prestwick back in front.

PRESTWICK ACADEMY: Joe Morrison; Brandon Holland, Struan Knox, Daniel Hannah Paterson, Kylie Forsyth, Joseph Banks, Anthony Brown, Ashton Agnew, Euan Robertson, Kaj Murchie, Euan McIver. Subs: Ron Yetton, Jamie Watt, Jamie Grieve, Nicholas Hughes.

BELMONT ACADEMY: Brodie Stakim; Arran Caldwell, Jack Benson, Aaron Murray, Mackenzie Connelly, Ben Strain, Jacob Gilardi, Robbie Meiklem, Jake Graham, Lauchlin Clark, Aiden Kerr. Subs: Andrew Young, Steven McCormick, Mackenzie, Lamont, Charlie Walker (gk).