Dunadd became the latest team to etch their name on the Mowi Challenge Cup after coming out 7-6 winners in a ding dong battle against Aberdour

The Eilan, Newtonmore was the venue for the Mowi WCA Challenge Cup Final, the first of three finals taking place on the 5^{th of} September. It was refreshing to see two new teams in the final after Badenoch and Inverness had battled it out in consecutive finals in 2024 and 2025 and especially refreshing to see two south teams going head-to-head for a national trophy. Dunadd came into the game fresh from lifting the Single Team Cup after beating Mowi Premier League side Glenurquhart, while Aberdour were just one place behind Dunadd in the Mowi National Division. The Fife side had beaten Tayforth, GMA and Strathspey convincingly on the way to the final with Dunadd having defeated Strathglass and holders Badenoch. In a first for the Women’s Cup Final Day, all officials involved were women with Elaine Cameron taking charge of the Challenge Cup.

The longest period in the game without a goal just so happened to be the first twelve minutes, with the two teams attempting to figure each other out, probing but not committing too much too soon. The deadlock was broken by Aberdour after some great play from Katie Booth, the ball played to the left flank by Riane Cooper where it was picked up by Booth, she dribbled the ball expertly across the pitch creating space where she had just come from, her deft pass into that space was picked up by Rebecca Thornigton who struck home to open the scoring. Just five minutes later Aberdour doubled their lead, a long ball from Matilda Ritchie found Thornington, she expertly beat her marker before placing a half-swing into the bottom left-hand corner, leaving the Dunadd keeper with no chance.

Dunadd would reduce the deficit on the 26-minute mark, a corner from Kathryn Morley was well cleared by the Aberdour backline, however, Rosie MacDonald showed great strength to hold off her marker before slipping it to Iona McCulloch who fired home from distance, the shot so powerful it rebounded back out of the net causing some confusion among the supporters! There was no confusion when it came to the equaliser five minutes later though, Taryn Neilson making two great saves from Eilidh Cameron, the first in the air, the second with her feet, but there was no stopping the third which flew into the roof of the net, meaning it was all level at half-time.

The second half started just as the first had ended, with goals. McCulloch winning a duel in full centre, causing her marker to lose her stick in the process, before striding forward with the ball and taking aim from 30 yards, her hit skipping along the ground and straight into the back of the net to give Dunadd the lead for the first time in the game. It was short lived though as a deep Aberdour corner was picked up by Ritchie, her ball back across found Booth who hit a low drive beyond the Dunadd keeper to level the scores. Booth would double her tally for the day four minutes later from the left wing, shooting across goal from a tight angle but finding the far corner with perfection.  It was Dunadd’s turn to respond instantly, this time directly from the throw up, Ailsa Crawford playing the ball into Cameron who faked one and moved the other giving herself the half yard she needed to laser the ball into the top right-hand corner. Thorington responded five minutes later, slipping Booth through on goal, the Dunadd keeper did well to rush out and stop her from having an easy finish, but Thorington had the simple task of finishing the rebound into an empty net to claim her hat-trick. When Aberdour’s Ritchie gave her side a two goal advantage, after a lovely finish from distance eight minutes from time, the Aberdour faithful must’ve thought they had won it. Dunadd had other ideas. Again, directly from throw up the ball was moved to Cameron at full-forward, again she managed to jink away from her marker before getting one back for the MacRae Park outfit.

With just five minutes left on the clock, Dunadd found the equaliser, McCulloch picking the ball up in full centre before unleashing a powerful strike that trumped her earlier goals both in quality of strike and importance to the game. With the match looking destined for extra-time, Cameron dropped deep to pick up an Aberdour clearance, despite being almost on the half-way line she cracked a looping ball towards goal, surely with the hope that a teammate would get on the rebound, such was the quality on the hit though, it evaded the Aberdour keeper and nestled in the back of the net. From two goals down to one ahead in just eight minutes, there were scenes of total jubilation a few minutes later as Elaine Cameron brought an end to one of the all-time shinty cup finals. Iona McCulloch was awarded the Peter Gow Memorial Player of the Match Award for a great battling and goalscoring performance from the centre, while the ultimate honour, the Mowi Challenge Cup was presented to Captain Eilidh Cameron to raise high in the air with her teammates.

Congratulations to Dunadd from all at the Association as well as our commiserations to Aberdour who more than played their part in a final that will live long in the memory.