GMA defy the odds to lift Bullough Cup

On Saturday 16^th August, Strachur was once again the venue for the Bullough Cup Final as the 2025 contest brough together Glasgow Mid Argyll and Lochside Rovers. Lochside were top of the league going into the game, some 17 points ahead of their fellow finalists and boasting a recent 7-0 win against them. GMA on the other hand sat 7^th in the league 3 points clear of the relegation zone and hadn’t won a game since the Bullough Cup Semi-Final 6 weeks earlier where they defeated Inveraray 5-2. With all that in mind, most neutrals had the holders down to retain the trophy, but GMA fans turned up in good number with the hope that their side would lift the trophy for the third time.

Jamie Paterson was the referee for the day and started the game by throwing the ball into the air for the teams to contest. Most finals take a bit of time to settle down before any side drives forward for an attack, but this was not most finals and Glasgow Mid Argyll would upset the apple cart very early on by taking the lead. Almost directly from throw up, Cailean MacInnes swept a wonderful ball to the left flank, the wing-forward playing a tantalising ball right across the face of goal – Scott Craig unable to sweep it home on the first attempt – but try, try and try again was the motto of the day, and while his second attempt was well blocked his third was rocketed into the roof of the net to put the city dwellers 1-0 up in the very first minute.

After that chaotic start, the match fell into a more predictable format with the teams exchanging half chances and battling well across the centre of the park in an attempt to assert some dominance and control on the frenetic proceedings. The second goal of the game would be key, and it went the way of Lochside Rovers, a ball into the left wing by Daniel Duffy was controlled by Fraser MacMillan, his block on a GMA clearance then allowed Matt Rippon to take aim from distance. Most people would call shooting from there a pot shot, but Rippon’s rocket found the keeper’s top left corner and levelled the scoring just three minutes shy of the half-time whistle.

The question in the second half became, would GMA be able to replicate their speedy start? The answer, a resounding yes. Just four minutes into the second half and the blue and whites were ahead again, a free hit in the centre of the park by Jamie MacLeod was well dummied and the ball carried its way to the right flank and into the path of Mark Bain, the Mid Argyll hitman firing across the keeper to put his sides nose back in front.

Fifteen minutes from the end and the Peterson Park outfit made sure the Bullough Cup would be returning to Yoker for the first time since 2022. A great block at wing-centre saw the ball zip down the right flank, still some 40-yards out, Craig floated a shot onto the target and as so often is the case with shots like that, the ball found its way past the goalkeeper and sparked jubilant celebrations among the travelling GMA fans. That is how the game finished, and the underdogs had done it thanks to tireless work throughout the pitch with young backs Ruaridh MacSween and Zac Menzies picked out for particular praise in keeping the potent Lochside backline at bay. Camanachd Association President, Burton Morrison presented the Bullough Cup to Glasgow Mid Argyll Captain Calum MacFarlane-Barrow who lifted the trophy high into the Strachur air.