A stunning first half performance saw Culter go in four up at the break before running out 5-1 winners over East End to lift the Grill League Cup – their first silverware for seven years.
East End started the game at Lochside Park the stronger, but it was Culter who opened the scoring after seven minutes when Cammy Fraser’s shot from a Ryan Stewart long ball came back off the post to Callum Dunbar, who side-footed the ball into the net.
On 14 minutes, it was two after Ross Clark was tripped in the area by Ryan Corthals. Fraser converted the resultant spot-kick.
Culter continued to dominate and, after 27 minutes, Dunbar’s pass found Fraser out wide and, with keeper Zack Ellis forced out of position, his slide-rule ball into the middle left Willie Mathers with a simple tap-in.
In stoppage time, Fraser was again the architect, his long ball finding Clark on the break, who strode forward before coolly dispatching the ball past Ellis.
The second half was understandably a fairly tame affair, with Jay Cheyne firing through a ruck of players to make it 5-0 after 53 minutes, and defender Lewis Masson notching an East End consolation with nine minutes remaining.
‘Good start to season’ for Culter
End’s miserable afternoon was completed on 88 minutes when manager Stuart Whicher was red carded by referee Kevin Murray after his assistant drew his attention to an indiscretion on the touchline.
Culter assistant manager Craig Stephenson, who joined the Crombie Club club with boss Lee Youngson from East End before the pandemic, admits it was an emotional occasion for everyone involved with the club.
Stephenson said: “To get our hands on a trophy was always one of the objectives why we came here in the first place and it’s great to finally get the monkey off our back.
“It’s been a good start to the season and this is something for the boys to take momentum into the rest of the season, so we’re happy.
“East End are a good young side and we were under no illusions that it was going to be tough, but I think, once we got that first goal, the nerves went and it gave the boys the confidence to kick on.
“It was a great team performance, but I thought Cammy Fraser up top, leading the line on his own, was outstanding.
“I thought Willie Mathers had a cracking game, our back four were very good, but it was a good team performance and hopefully we can take that into the game against Hermes this weekend.
“The pitch at Lochside Park was looking absolutely brilliant and credit to Hermes for that. It was a great venue for the game and it was good to see people coming out in numbers.”
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