First Round – Saturday 14 February 1948 – Grant Street Park, Inverness
Clachnacuddin 2 Forres Mechanics 0
Clach lead 1 – 0 at half-time through a penalty by Hazle early in the game. It was a closer game than expected. The Inverness side’s defence was solid as usual. Forres lacked marksman to reward clever forward play. Jamieson scored in the second half to make the tie safe for Clach.
Clach Team - MacDougall; Hazle; MacKay; Baxter (Captain); MacLean; Kane, MacKenzie; Siegel; Pines; Bartlett; W Jamieson
Clach Scorers: Hazel (penalty); Jamieson
Second Round – Saturday 21st February 1948 – Kingsmills Park, Inverness
Clachnacuddin 5 Inverness Thistle 1
This was an impressive win for Clach. It was a fairly even first half. The score was level at 1 – 1 at half time. Pines scored for Clach after 20 minutes and Fraser replied for Thistle on 40 minutes. Powerful direct play by Clach in the second half forced the Jags defence into errors. Baxter with a “soft” goal gave Clach the lead before Pines with a fine low drive, made it 3 – 0 to the visitors. Pines completed his hat trick and Baxter added a fifth. A greasy ball added to Thistle goalie Petrie’s misery as he was unable to hold it on two occasions resulting in Clach goals.
Clach Team - MacDougall; Hazle; MacKay; Baxter (Captain); MacLean; Kane; MacKenzie; Siegel; Pines; Bartlett; W Jamieson
Thistle Team - Petrie; Calder; Carr; Robertson; Urquhart; MacAulay; “NEWMAN”; Pyke; Fraser; Owens; Gray
Clach Scorers – Pines 3; Baxter 2
Referee – Mr C McCaig, Aberdeen
Semi-Final – 16 March 1948 – MacKessack Park, Rothes
Clachnacuddin 5 Rothes 2
Playing a brand of football that had power as well as skill Clack powered their way to their third cup final of the season. Rothes, who had beaten Caley 3 – 2 in the previous round, proved no match for a rampant “Lilies”. Clach made a great start. After five minutes Bremner, the Rothes goalkeeper, failed to hold a low drive and as the ball rebounded off an upright Jamieson was on hand to tap the ball into the net. The home goal bore a charmed life before Siegel in 25 minutes, headed a Pines cross against the crossbar and following up made no mistake with his second try. Rothes scored six minutes later with a bizarre goal. Bartlett tried to pass the ball upfield but it rebounded high into the air of the Rothes’ left back’s foot and soared into the Clach net. Siegel restored Clach’s two goal lead with a fine drive from a MacKenzie pass for a 3 – 1 half time lead for his team. Five minutes into the second half Pines scored a goal back for Rothes against the run of play midway through the half after a misjudged punch out by MacDougall. Clach were never in danger and Bartlett completed the scoring for them from superb through pass by Siegel.
Elgin qualified to meet Clach in the final on 27th March by defeating Lossiemouth 1 – 0 in the other semi-final.
Clach Team MacDougall; Hazle; MacKay; Baxter (Captain); MacLean; Kane; MacKenzie; Siegel; Pines; Bartlett; W Jamieson
Clach Scorers Jamieson, Siegel 2, Pines, Bartlett
FINAL – Saturday 27th March 1948 – Grant Street Park, Inverness
Clachnacuddin 2 Elgin City 0
The then rules of the Competition decreed that the Final had to be played in Inverness. Grant Street was chosen because Elgin sportingly expressed a preference for playing on their opponents’ ground. The huge crowd was comfortably housed and the playing pitch was good enough even for the Scotland -v- England hockey international due to be played at the Bught Stadium on Saturday 10th April. This was a real tribute to the Clach management, groundsmen and supporters who had worked hard to prepare the pitch for the game.
There was a crowd of over 8,000 at the game paying more than £500 exclusive of the stand. It was estimated that about 2,000 travelled from Elgin and district by rail, bus and car.
Clach deserved their victory which proved to be a trial of strength and stamina but was somewhat disappointing as an exhibition of football skill.
Clach won because they had a grip of the game throughout, while the Elgin players seemed a little unsure of themselves.
Elgin started brightly and a header by Grant came back off the crossbar with MacDougall well beaten. Had this gone in the result might have been different. However, after eleven minutes Clach scored. Pines netted with a superb header from a Kane free kick.
From then on Clach took control. Roddy MacLean generally had the measure of Elgin dangerman centre forward Matt Armstrong, the ex Aberdeen player. Elgin battled hard but the remainder of the Clach defence proved too good for the smaller Elgin forwards.
Clach’s second goal came twenty minutes from the end of the match. A corner kick from Jamieson was headed down to Siegel by Baxter and the inside forward finding himself with the ball at his feet made no mistake from ten yards.
With this goal ended any hope Elgin had of winning the match and this was finally compounded by shortly afterwards their right back, Ralph, having to leave the field with a badly gashed head after an accidental aerial clash with Pines. The Morayshire team finishing the game with ten men. With Clach well on top the final whistle blew and another cup was in the “bag” for the Inverness side.
The match was splendidly handled by the referee Mr Dougie MacKintosh of Inverness.
Clach Team - MacDougall; Hazle; Wheeler; Baxter (Captain); MacLean; Kane; MacKenzie; Siegel; Pines; Bartlett; W Jamieson
Elgin Team Munro; Ralph; MacLachlan; Ogilvie; Wyllie; Forbes; Fearn; Grant; Armstrong; Davie; Logie
Clach Scorers Pines; Siegel
Referee Mr Dougie MacKintosh, Inverness
The Golden Season - North of Scotland Cup
