Glenafton grab Junior Cup glory
McEwan hails Double winners after cup success — but now a Treble is on his mind
Craig McEwan isn’t just settling for the double – he wants a glory treble to wrap up Glenafton’s best- ever season.
Stunning goals from Cammy Marlow and Alan Cairns overturned Keir Milliken’s opener for Auchinleck and gave the league champions the Scottish Cup for only the second time in their history.
But gaffer McEwan reckons there is even more to come from his New Cumnock heroes. And immediately after Sunday’s Rugby Cup triumph before a crowd of 6144, he began plotting more silverware.
Glens are back in action at Loch Park on Wednesday night when they meet First Division winners Girvan in the semi- finals of the League Champions Cup.
The prize is a tilt against Glasgow Perthshire at Benburb on Saturday.
McEwan beamed: “I want the Treble – this is just the start. I’m so proud and words can’t describe how happy I am.
“We set targets at the beginning of the season that we wanted to win something. Now we’ve won the biggest two.
“It is a privilege and honour to be manager of this team.
“I would have taken a 1- 0 win with a last minute OG. We did it the hard way but what a goal to win it.”
Talbot got the perfect start after 18 minutes when Steven Wilson pounced on a slack pass by Darren McGill and darted from the centre circle.
He could have parted to his brother Graham but instead set up Milliken who beat keeper Brian McGarrity with a low shot from a tight angle.
Glens took only 10 minutes
to level. Man of the match Dan Orsi made the yards down the right and his perfect cross was side- footed home on the drop by the inrushing Marlow.
Talbot looked the likelier side at the start of the second- half with Milliken and Graham Wilson causing panic in the Glens defence.
Kyle McAusland had to boot clear as McGarrity came under pressure but these scares were forgotten with 14 minutes to go.
Ally Park touched the ball to Cairns and the full- back let fly from 25 yards with a left foot scorcher that looped over Andy Leishman who was left clawing fresh air. What a goal to win a final. Weary Talbot had no answer – this was Glens’ day and the famous trophy was heading back to Loch Park where it hadn’t been seen since Alan Rough’s men beat Tayport in 1993. AUCHINLECK TALBOT: Leishman; Harvey, McGoldrick, White, Lyle; Hyslop, S Wilson, McCracken ( Shankland 77), Young; Milliken, G Wilson. Unused subs: Pooler, Thompson, McPherson, Stevenson. GLENAFTON: McGarrity; McAusland, McChesney, Menzies, Cairns; Orsi, Marlow, Park, McGill ( Lynass 73); Dallas ( Carter 81), McCann ( Andrew 68). Unused subs: Lochhead, Gray.