Orkney seal inter-county double with Milne Cup victory

Orkney sealed a first senior inter-county double in four years this evening as the county’s footballers beat Shetland 3-2 at the Pickaquoy.

Goals from Chris Hellewell, Thofinn Stout, and Chris Simpson cancelled out Paul Molloy’s second-half opener for the visitors, who made it a nervy finish when Josie Kay bundled the ball over the line with just over five minutes to go.

However it wasn’t to be for the visitors as an elated Orkney captain Erik Bews collected the Milne Cup in front of a home crowd.

Few of the decent sized crowd would have predicted five second-half goals would be scored after a tentative and cagey first 45 minutes with neither side being able to break down resolute defences. Shetland’s captain Leighton Flaws had the best effort when he rattled the bar from 30 yards.

Paul Molloy opened the scoring shortly after the break when he slipped the ball past Orkney’s Man of the Match Cameron McConnachie, however Orkney hit back with two goals in the space of five minutes through Hellewell and Stout.

Substitute Chris Simpson headed the hosts into dreamland with a third after 70 minutes before left-back Kay set up a grandstand finish with a scrappy second.

Despite throwing players forward in the closing stages and ‘keeper McConnachie making some smart stops, Orkney were resolute as they avenged last year’s 6-0 defeat in Lerwick.

The victory, along with Orkney’s hockey victory earlier in the day, means it is a double celebration for Orkney sport tonight.