Both Mod Cups are en-route to the Hebrides now

The smiles were as plentiful as the flowing uisge beatha was at the after match ceilidhs as the Lewis and Harris Women’s FC stormed to glory in the first ever womens football Mod Cup match.

And the men’s football Mod Cup was won by Uist and Barra who stunned holders Glasgow Island with a last minute winner to edge a see-saw five-goal thriller on Glasgow Green.

Lining up against our girls on this history making day at the Royal National Mod were Glasgow City Girls.

They were scheduled to send their under 19 side to play our girls who recently lifted the Highlands and Islands League Cup.

But in the end it was their under-15 side who provided the opposition and while a talented young side, reportedly boasting a number of internationally recognised talents, they were no match for the Lewis and Harris Lionesses.

Lewis and Harris WFC manager Catherine Anne Macleod only had 10 players available on the day so called in three ‘ringers’ in the form of mainland pals of the girls to fill one of the starting jerseys and provide two subs.

But from the outset Lewis and Harris bossed the match.

The opening goal came from a corner kick which was missed at the near post by the Glasgow Girls defender and rolled straight into Christy Houston’s path in the middle of the six-yard box.

Houston had the freedom of the six-yard box to knock the ball into the empty net for the opener.

A sliced kick out from the Glasgow keeper handed Beth Macleod a chance and she saw her shot saved before the wing wizard retrieved the ball and tried to finish at the second attempt but it was again gathered by the keeper.

A second goal was coming though and Beth was the architect of this as she turned the Glasgow right back inside out so much she would have been left with twisted blood. Beth hit the by-line and cut it across the face of goal to give Lewis and Harris’ honoray player Becky a tap in for 2-0.

To give the younger Glasgow Girls their credit, they were much improved in the second-half and closed the space down on the island girls quicker.

Lewis and Harris also took their foot off the gas a little with the game all but secured but the Mod Cup was hooked in the second-half as Beth Macleod got herself onto the scoresheet to wrap up a 3-0 win and become the first women holders of the Mod Cup.

On the opposite pitch were Glasgow Island, our city based island ex-pats.

Their match kicked off a little later as a delayed flight held up a handful of the Uist and Barra players lining up against them. Not that Glasgow Island were disappointed with a slightly later kick-off as the ex-pats had only just come off the park after a gruelling Scottish Cup match of their own.

Having won the match 4-1, Glasgow Island had no time for a rest or a shower as they simply shrugged the fatigue out of their limbs and stayed as fresh as they could be for their own Mod cup encounter.

This game turned out to be an end to end scrap as the pendulum of power swung between both camps before a dramatic last gasp winner secured the silverware for Uist and Barra and shattered Glasgow Island.

Mark Morrison’s first-half goal was difference between the teams before Harry Luney levelled from a corner.

Eriskay’s Dominic Macaulay then edged Uist and Barra ahead. They were pegged back by a Glasgow Island leveller and it looked as if the men’s Mod Cup would be decided from 12-yards via the dreaded penalty shootout before a late heap of drama was tipped onto the turf.

The Glasgow Island left-back and Uist and Barra man on the right wing headed for a 50/50 which was won by the latter who skipped down the flank and whipped in an early cross.

Macaulay had ghosted between the two Glasgow Island defenders in the heart of the penalty area with neither taking responsibility for marking him and the ball was prodded in by Macaulay’s right boot on the stretch.

There was barely enough time for Glasgow Island to regroup and attack again before the referee blew his whistle to signal full-time and with it award the Mod Cup to Uist and Barra for 2019.