Lossiemouth United manager Scott Campbell hails incredible Scottish Junior Cup shock of winning at Auchinleck Talbot
They’re calling it the greatest shock in Scottish Junior Cup history.
And the mastermind of Lossiemouth United’s monumental 3-2 victory at Ayrshire giants Auchinleck Talbot was perhaps the youngest manager in Scottish football.
Scott Campbell may be just 26 but his achievement in leading a north junior second-tier side to victory over the biggest club in the country at their level is incredible.
Some bookies offered 100-1 odds on United doing the impossible and toppling a team that has not only won the Scottish Junior Cup 14 times, but reached the fifth round of the senior Scottish Cup in their history.
Campbell admitted he was lost for words to describe his team’s success, but compared it to his wedding day just a month ago.
“I made a little joke with the lads but I got married four weeks ago and this is probably right up there with the feeling of the whole day,” he said.
“I’ve been told that no team in the north region has ever gone and beaten Auchinleck Talbot away for home. For us to do that, just into our third year coming back, it’s hard to put into words.”
Yet the victorious boss had something of a premonition ahead of the biggest match in the club’s history.
“I had a feeling this morning and I told them it was an opportunity to go and make yourself legends, not just for Lossie United but in terms of north region junior football.
“They’ve certainly done that.”
Two goals from Alex Matczak - one was wrongly credited to Harvey Henderson in the club’s social media - and one from defender Jack Macarthur earned Lossie’s greatest day.
Campbell described the buzz of the victory, and paid tribute to hosts Auchinleck for taking defeat in the most magnanimous of ways.
“Their fans, committee, and manager were unbelievable. They clapped the boys in and some of the stuff they were complimenting us on was amazing.
“They will be majorly disappointed considering their standing in football. But what a feeling, what a day.
Every one of our boys is full of energy right now and feeling the emotion of it, but tomorrow there will be some sore legs because they gave absolutely everything.”
Campbell wouldn’t single out any individual player but United keeper Stephen Dey produced the performance of a lifetime to repel Talbot’s threats on his goal, and his efforts were recognised by the home club.
“They say that for the first time in Auchinleck history that an opposition player got given man of the match,” Campbell said.
“He was absolutely magnificent. I think they are calling him the Great Wall of China on the bus just now.
“Alex Matczak got two goals and his winner was absolutely exquisite. If that was on the telly, everyone would be going on about it.
When we conceded in the 44th minute it was a sickener. They had a lot of the ball but they didn't create too much.
“But we came out in the second half and had our tails up, we got our two goals and got a foothold in the game.
“When they scored their second I did think ‘let's get to penalties’.
“But in the 87th minute we got the winner. From then on it felt like a lifetime waiting for the final whistle.”
The manager praised his club for taking them down to Ayrshire on the Friday night to give them the best preparation possible for the game of their lives.
“It’s maybe only round two of the Scottish Cup but we wanted to go there and make a point.
“I said all along we wanted to go and make a statement and I think we have come a long way from where the club started a couple of year ago.
“This is something that no junior team from here tends to do - it’s just unbelievable.
“There’s some people calling it the biggest result in Scottish junior football history. We were 100-1 today, absolutely no-one expected anyone from us today, we were just there to play our part and get a doing and go home.
“But I told the boys there was an opportunity to do something special.
“Our focus has always been to go one better than getting to the play-offs last year and this was a token gift to get a draw like this. But the boys deserve all the credit, I just stood at the side and picked the team.
“There were 20, maybe 30 Lossie United fans who came down the road today and it was nice to give them something back. It’s four-and-a-half hours to come down here but they made themselves heard and it was a really nice moment at the end.
“It’s a day we will never forget.”
