FC Fochabers complete 'crazy' Moray Welfare treble with 3-1 victory over Hopeman
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FC FOCHABERS completed a 'crazy' Moray Welfare treble with a 3-1 victory against Hopeman in the WJ Tewnion Memorial Trophy final on Friday night.
Goals from Lee Alexander, Jordan Clark and Andrew Walker gave Fochabers the win at Lossiemouth's Grant Park.
At one point, Fochabers trailed league leaders RAF Lossiemouth by 16 points – but a remarkable turnaround has seen them win 16 out of 17 matches to secure a treble.
After winning the title on the last day – beating RAF Lossie 4-2 away – they defeated Hopeman 7-2 in the Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy to secure a double.
The treble, believed to be the first involving a league win and a cup double since 1989, was secured on Friday night.
Player-manager Gary Burchell said: "It's crazy. I know it's Welfare level, but it's some achievement.
"If it was easy it would have been done between 1989 and now. It's something for everybody to be proud of – it's just magic.
"We were so many points behind RAF in the league and in the cup semi-final we were 2-0 down to Portsoy and won 5-2, so that was a turning point.
"With the start we had, something like 10 points from six games, in our heads Hopeman were winning everything. It sounds like a cliché but Fochabers never give up.
"We scored a last-minute winner against Hopeman at home, a last-minute goal against RAF last game of the season and went on an unreal run to win 16 of 17 games.
"We took in three young boys – Lee Alexander, Liam Watt and Evan Smith – who came in halfway through the season and that really helped."
Hopeman had the first chance of Friday's final as Ryan Fiske raced through on goal, cutting in from the right, but his shot was blocked by Declan Clark.
Fochabers started coming into the game midway through the first period and took the lead when Lee Alexander latched onto a through ball and netted into the bottom right-hand corner from 18 yards.
Seven minutes into the second half, James Turnbull's powerful shot was blocked by Keiran Burchell in the Fochabers goal, but he didn't manage to fully push the ball clear and it rolled in for an equaliser.
Fochabers quickly regained their advantage as Gary Burchell's ball found Alexander and his cross found Jordan Clark who knocked home from two yards.
The game was sealed late on. Hopeman were pushing for an equaliser and Fochabers went up the other end and Walker sealed a 3-1 victory for the Speysiders.
Burchell added: "To be fair, it was chalk and cheese with the first game. We steam-rolled them in the first final but they had a different squad and I don't know if they played better or we didn't turn up.
"I said before the game that they will be playing for pride and to not even think about the first final because there are never two games the same. I said it won't be easy and, fair play to Hopeman, it wasn't.
"I've been player-manager for 10 years now and won it all, some trophies more than two or three times, and the only goal now is to win a third successive title. Nobody has ever done three in a row."
This is FC Fochabers' second treble, having won a cup treble in 2016 – however, this is the first 'domestic' treble, involving a league title.
