Fraserburgh’s Sean Butcher was thrilled to be the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield final match-winner on his return from injury.
The striker netted two minutes from time to give the Broch a 2-1 win over Buckie Thistle in an absorbing final at Kynoch Park, Keith.
It’s a record-extending ninth Shield win for Fraserburgh and completes a third Aberdeenshire double in eight seasons after they won the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup earlier in the campaign.
Their Under-21 side have also claimed the GPH Builders Merchants Aberdeenshire League.
Butcher sustained a knee injury on December 30 and his return to action as a second half sub was memorable.
He said: “The last few months have been tough, I got injured just after Christmas and I’ve struggled for minutes lately because the boys have played so well.
“I’ve had to bide my time, but at 1-1 I knew I might have a chance of getting on and I got a chance which thankfully went in.
“My thought was to get the header on target and thankfully it went in.
“I tore the medial ligament in my knee, it wasn’t too bad, I was out for five weeks.
“I’ve been getting minutes here and there playing for the U21s since and trying to knock on the door for a place in the team.
“I knew there was a chance I might not get on because we’ve got a great squad.
“This week I’ve probably had the toughest week of my family life, there’s been a lot going on at home.
“I was desperate to get on and you’ve no idea how emotional it made me to get on and score.
“It’s just a pity my kids weren’t here to see it, but I’ll share the moment with them when I get the chance in the coming days.
“At the moment we hold the Cup, the Shield and the league title and it’s not very often anybody would be able to say that.”
Fraserburgh strike first
After a cagey opening the Broch broke the deadlock in the 25th minute.
Ryan Sargent lifted the ball in behind the Buckie defence on the left side of the area and goalkeeper Lee Herbert smothered Scott Barbour’s initial attempt to score.
However, as he fell the striker hooked the loose ball into the net from 10 yards.
In response for Buckie Josh Peters had a shot deflected into the side-netting and then fired a volley just wide from 20 yards.
Early in the second period Cohen Ramsay fired over for the Jags and then Andrew MacAskill had a 25-yard strike held by 16-year-old Broch goalkeeper Sam Inglis.
On 55 minutes Herbert prevented Fraserburgh making it 2-0.
Sargent did well to get a cross in from the left flank, Connor Wood came in to meet it but Herbert made a magnificent block at point-blank range.
On the hour mark the woodwork denied Buckie with Joe McCabe’s cross from the right flicked on by Marcus Goodall for Scott Adams, who didn’t catch his shot particularly well and it rebounded off the left post.
Three minutes later the Jags equalised. MacAskill floated in a free-kick from the left and sub Sam Urquhart helped the ball back across goal for Sam Pugh to finish from close range.
The final was very much in the balance with neither side wanting to make the mistake which might cost them.
But in the 88th minute Fraserburgh grabbed the winner. Ross Aitken got down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross for Butcher, his header had too much power for Herbert and crept in.
Buckie had one last chance in the 90th minute when Urquhart tugged a shot wide from 12 yards after a Kyle MacLeod flick on.
