ST MACHAR survived a late fightback from Cults to comfortably win the final of the U-16 Association Trophy.

It took a while for both teams to settle with no clear cut chances at either end in the opening spell. Young was the first player to threaten the goal with a header from Cowling’s cross but he couldn’t find the target.

Duncan tried his luck with a 30-yard free-kick shortly after but it drifted wide of Mutch’s left hand post.

St Machar opened the scoring in 17 minutes after THOMSON rifled the ball home.

(Half time: 0-1)

Cults immediately put St Machar under pressure. Quinn was quick to pounce as the ball slipped out of Fletcher’s grasp but he shot wide of the upright.

Thomson could have made it two when he fired the ball over the bar from six yards out as he met Cowling’s corner on the volley.

Cults equalised in 47 minutes. Smith’s corner fell to SUTHERLAND who forced the ball over the line from close range.

Their celebrations were quickly curtailed when THOMSON ran on to Banks’ long ball out of defence and after holding off his marker neatly slotted the ball low into the net.

Guthrie was next to create a chance for himself but Fletcher was quickly off his line to dive at the striker’s feet.

Moments later it was Mutch who was the hero when Young latched on to Middleton’s through ball but the Cults keeper blocked with his feet.

A perfectly timed tackle from Venn prevented Thomson grabbing his hat-trick but from the resulting corner BANKS rose high to power his header into the net.

St Machar were in full flow now and LOBHAN made it four when he drove low through a ruck of players from the edge of the box.

Cults continued to press forward and some neat footwork by Guthrie as he bore down on goal went unrewarded. Norris also went close with a lob but Fletcher got his fingertips to it.

MIDDLETON completed the scoring with eight minutes left when his lobbed shot from 25 yards out sailed into the far corner of the net.

Cults’ Sutherland was denied a second by a great tackle from Brown.

CULTS – Mutch, Venn, McPherson, Scheier, Egeli, Sutherland, Coult, Smith, Norris, Quinn, Guthrie

Subs – Leonard, Hannaford, Lumsden, Fraser, Sherman

ST MACHAR – Fletcher, Findlay, Brown, Banks, Robertson, Lobban, Cowling, Duncan, Szalinski, Young, Thomson

Subs – Middleton

Referee – B D’Arcy