Brora Rangers win North of Scotland Cup Final
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Brora Rangers 3
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2
Scorers – Brora: Gillespie (45) Maclean (79) Macleod (84) Inverness: Todorov (67) Harper (77)
Kyle Macleod scored the winner as Brora Rangers caused an upset over Inverness Caledonian Thistle to lift the North of Scotland Cup.
Dale Gillespie gave Brora the lead on the stroke half time but Inverness were in front with 13 minutes remaining thanks to Nikolay Todorov and Cameron Harper.
But Martin Maclean levelled two minutes later to bring Brora back into the match before Macleod pounced on a mistake by Mackay to score with six minutes remaining.
Brora Rangers were dealt a blow when Jordan Macrae was forced to come off injured after 15 minutes replaced by Paul Brindle.
Kevin McHattie came closest to opening the scoring for Inverness when his goalbound shot from 12 yards was blocked by Ally MacDonald.
Brora threatened when Dale Gillespie’s pass almost found John Pickles unchallenged in the box but a last ditch block by Charlie Trafford diverted the ball from danger.
But the Sutherland outfit did take the lead on the stroke of half time when Greg Morrison’s cross found Gillespie unchallenged and he fired a low drive into the bottom right corner of the net from 12 yards.
Brora started the second half confidently when Paul Brindle’s powerful effort from 20 yards stung the hands of Mackay who needed a second attempt to gather the ball.
Inverness won a free-kick at the edge of the box midway through the second half when Matheus Machado teed up David Carson at the edge of the box but his powerful shot went inches of the left post.
However they did equalise when Todorov nodded a home a cross from Carson from the right wing into the net.
Inverness thought they had control of the game 13 minutes from time when Cameron Harper scored a sensational free-kick from 25 yards.
But Brora levelled the game almost immediately when the Inverness defence failed to clear a cross and Maclean fired a powerful low drive into the net from 12 yards.
Substitute Macleod gave Brora the lead six minutes from time when goalkeeper Mackay was unable to hold a cross into the box and Macleod pounced to poke the ball into the net.
Brora: Malin, Kelly, Macdonald, Williamson, Nicolson, Morrison, Pickles, Maclean, Macrae (Brindle 15), Gillespie (Macleod 73) Morrison.
Subs (Unused) Wagenaar, Docherty, Macdonald, Davidson, Counsell.
ICT: Mackay, Gamble, Trafford McLean (86) , McKay, McHattie, MacGregor, Hyde, Todorov, Carson, Machado.
Subs (Unused) Harkness, Thain, Hogg, Ridgers.
