The North District Under-15 Boys celebrated a well deserved victory at the Scottish Inter-District Tournament held at Strathallan, Perthshire, this past weekend, clinching the title in a thrilling finale.

Unlike last year’s longer trek to Peffermill, Edinburgh, the shorter journey to Strathallan allowed for a more relaxed start on a drizzly Sunday morning for those traveling from the North-East. Weather steadily improved en route, with clouds parting by Dundee and glorious sunshine greeting the team at Strathallan. Picnics, deckchairs, and sunscreen set the scene for a vibrant day of hockey.

The North squad, bolstered by many returning players from last year’s second-place finish, showcased their experience and maturity early on. Their opening match against East Navy at 10:30 highlighted their confidence, with some seamless teamwork, strong performances and precise passing. Mid-match the team faced injury, with excellent play by Will Donaldson coming to an early end after receiving a hard knock to the collar. Undeterred, the team pushed on and secured a confidence boosting 6-1 victory, with Eli Clark and Harry Cochrane working in close partnership to deliver successive goals.

By lunchtime, and with temperatures still soaring, the team faced West Cerise in their second match. A standout moment came from Brody Morrice, who scored a stunning goal, fresh off his debut goal for Gordonians Men’s 4ths the previous week. A goalkeeper switch saw Alan Younger face a string of five short corners in quick succession, but swift reactions and the team’s solid defending limited West Cerise to a single goal, resulting in a 4-1 win to North.

Buoyed by back-to-back victories, North took on Highland with high spirits. Despite the heat taking its toll and Highland’s tenacious midfield play, a half-time regroup catalysed a dominant second half for the team. North’s relentless attack, backed by stellar defending and midfield control, including a consistently solid performance from Matthew Tomkins and excellent play by Wade Williamson, led to a flurry of goals. Highland’s desperate move to substitute their goalkeeper for an extra outfield player couldn’t stem the tide, and North secured a resounding 7-0 win, topping the pool with 9 points— an impressive five points ahead of the second and third-placed teams.

The final against East Sky mirrored last year’s showdown. Both teams started fiercely, with neither able to dominate or land a shot on goal. North’s persistence delivered close shots just wide, but East Sky’s strong defenders thwarted Norths efforts. A goalless first half raised the prospect of a daunting penalty shoot-out.

A short corner against North was repelled and led to tightly fought ownership just outside the North box. A whistle blow from a referee noted a still-masked North defender who’d inadvertently crossed the 25 yard line, which left North battling East Sky a player down while the defender temporarily sat out.

Quickly back to a full squad, a North short corner led to a spectacular shot on goal that sparked wild cheers—only for it to be disallowed being above the backboard. Undeterred, a North substitution immediately led to a sprint past a string of East Sky defenders by Michael de Bourcheville (GCW) who delivered a clinical North shot that secured the match’s only goal. The North team held firm to clinch a hard-fought 1-0 victory and the tournament title.

This historic win marks the first Scottish Inter-District Tournament title for the North District U15 Boys.

Extended heartfelt thanks go to the North Coaches for their dedication and hard work. Thanks also go to North East clubs for fielding and training a superb cohort of rising star players, and to parents and guardians for their unwavering support in making this victory possible.

Rae Younger ( Alan's Dad and a member of our Youth Committee)

PHOTO: Left to Right - All these boys came through our Youth Section and are now in either Gold squad or Development squad. They have all played for Men's 4ths this season
Wade Williamson, Matthew Tomkins, Will Donaldson, Brody Morrice, Eli Clark, Harry Cochrane, and goalkeeper Alan Younger.

RESULTS:
North 7 East (Navy) 1
North 4 West (Cerise) 1
North 7 Highland 0
North 1 East (Sky) 0 ( final)

TOP SCORER:
Eli Clark with 9 goals in the four games