Sport / Cup-winning comeback proves Shetland ‘never know when they are beaten’
SHETLAND’s hockey players “never seem to know when they are beaten” after a stunning comeback saw them lift the Scottish District Cup for a second time.
The blues trailed 2-0 to Edinburgh Hockey 2’s just after half-time of Sunday’s final, but rallied in spectacular fashion to draw 2-2 and take the game to running penalties.
After missing their first two penalties it looked again like Shetland were going to be disappointed at the last hurdle, having lost 1-0 in last year’s final.
But keeper Megan Nicholson helped stop Edinburgh’s final three penalties – with Shetland scoring all of theirs – to seal a remarkable 3-1 win and ensure the trophy returns to the isles for a second time in just three years.
Coach Derek Leask joked no other team could probably “come this close to losing a cup final and end up winning it”.
And he said Noost owner Duncan Clubb “owes us” for a “quite a few more beers” being bought at the Lerwick pub as supporters cheered on the monumental comeback at a watch-party.
Leask said none of his determined players ever thought they were out of the final – even when trailing their impressive opponents by two goals.
“This is a really top team we were playing, so if we were to have lost it then it wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world,” he told Shetland News.
“The most pleasing thing is the self belief the lasses have – that’s a hard thing to coach, they’ve learned that themselves.
“They have proved it so many times now that they have the ability to win, and the will to win, when the chips are down.
“None of them ever thought they were out of it. This team never seem to know when they are beaten.”
Goals from Megan Hibbert and Rhea Nicolson dragged Shetland off the canvas in the third quarter of the match after a sluggish start that saw Edinburgh go 2-0 up.
Leask, who is joint coach with wife Brenda, said they knew the East of Scotland champions were going to be a “good team” before Sunday’s final.
But he said they quickly discovered that they counted ex-Scotland internationals and Scottish masters players among their squad.
He said Shetland “don’t play teams like that too often”, and he thinks it took his side a “certain amount of time to get up to speed”.
After a “very cagey” start, he thinks going 2-0 down allowed his team to relax and take the shackles off.
“We didn’t try to change too much, the team nearly has to work it out on the pitch,” he said.
“I think they thought then, ‘we’ll have to do something here, we have nothing to lose’. I think that really vanquished the nerves a bit.”
Leask even thinks his Shetland side could have turned the game around completely before the end of the match, with chances coming and going before the final whistle signalled running penalties.
The blues won their first ever Scottish District Cup two years ago in the same manner – against another Edinburgh side – so the omens were good.
But when Shetland missed their first two penalties it began to look ominous, with Edinburgh Hockey 2’s having the chance to go 2-0 in front once again.
Keeper Megan Nicholson – the hero in both the 2023 final and last year’s inter-county succes
s in Orkney – was to prove decisive for her team though, keeping out all three of Edinburgh’s remaining penalties.
Leask said Shetland “always think we have an advantage” with Nicholson between the sticks when it comes to a shootout.
He also paid tribute to Kayleigh Irvine, who scored Shetland’s first penalty in the shootout, for being “brave enough to stand up” and slot the blues back into the running for the cup.
The winning penalty from Aimee Keith sparked wild celebrations – after a bizarre brief delay where the umpires seemed unsure if victory was secured – which continued into the night in Glasgow.
At home in Shetland anxious fans were put through the wringer once again before being able to celebrate, and Leask said they had seen videos of the party in the Noost as their success was toasted.
The co-coach said Sunday’s victory “ranks really highly” among the list of achievements Shetland have pulled off in recent years.
“I think when you win one some people think it could be a flash in the pan, but winning two national cups proves you are a really good team.”
He hopes the win will encourage Scottish Hockey to give grassroots hockey in Shetland more backing.
“Hopefully it shows we’re not just some remote outpost that they can ignore,” he said.
“We want more support, and hopefully Scottish Hockey don’t ignore us.”
Next up for Shetland is the chance to win three inter-county matches in a row against Orkney for the first time in history this summer, and Leask said that will be a “big occasion” for his team.
“That’s a big target we’ve been speaking about,” he said.
“We’ll be trying really, really hard to get ourselves a new record in the programme.”
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