PICTURES: Moray welfare champions FC Fochabers retain Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy with victory over Hopeman at Lossiemouth's Grant Park to set up possible trophy treble
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Just as they did with the Moray welfare league title, FC Fochabers retained their ownership of this season's Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy.
The newly-crowned champs hit top form to defeat title challengers Hopeman 7-2 at Lossiemouth's Grant Park on Friday.
Now the rampant 'Rockets' are just one game away from a glorious treble triumph, as they play Hopeman again in the Willie Tewnion Memorial Trophy, again at Lossiemouth a week on Friday.
Fochabers made it 16 wins in their last 17 matches in all competitions in some style.
Play was even early on with Fochabers' Andrew Walker forcing a good save out of Hopeman keeper Stephen Woodhouse, while at the other end Hopeman's 40-goal striker James McLaren - who has signed for Highland League Strathspey Thistle - firing a chance over.
Walker was involved again on nine minutes for Fochabers' opening goal as he played Lee Alexander down the right and his cross was forced home by Warren Orford.
Rockets' player manager Gary Burchell continued a fine run of scoring by volleying in his team's second three minutes later.
Hopeman weren't out of it and saw a Jamie Lees strike disallowed for offside and a penalty claim rejected.
But their hopes took a serious nosedive in the closing minutes of the half as Fochabers added two more goals.
Burchell nodded in his second with a looping header from a cross to the back post. Then Kieron Ingram's shot from distance was parried out to sub Evan Smith to tap in his team's fourth.
Hopeman kept pressing and McLaren did what he has been doing all season, finding the net with a superb long-range to give his side something to put on the scoresheet at the half-time whistle.
Fochabers had been the more clinical side and continued to do that after the interval.
Smith added his own second of the game and Alexander got himself in on the act with a well-taken double to take the final completely beyond Hopeman.
Again, Hopeman didn't let their heads completely drop and had the consolation of netting the final goal of the match, a half-volley by sub Mark Wood with ten minutes to go.
Woodhouse denied Alexander his hat-trick late on but it didn't really matter, with the champs showing their class in the showpiece match to run out convincing winners.
Hopeman, who have also put together a superb season and can still claim silverware in the last final, couldn't cope with the movement of Alexander, Walker, Orford and Smith in the Fochabers front line.
Fochabers' captain Ben Stewart collected the trophy from Scottish Welfare FA CEO Steve Aitken in front of a big crowd at Lossie. The final was sponsored by Davie Marshall.
Fochabers: K Burchell, Ingram, Edwards, McLean, Stewart, G Burchell, D Clark, J Clark, Walker, Alexander, Orford. Subs: Watt, Smith, Grant, Robertson, Gerrard.
Hopeman: Woodhouse, Main, Ramage, Lunan, Gresham, Burr, S McLaren, Fiske, Lees, J McLaren, McArthur. Subs: Cooper, Spencer, Wood, Bell, Herley.
Ref: Andy Ewen. Assistants: Doug Tucker and John Milne.
