Mill Utd won the Under 21 Glasgow Cup after a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Calderhill Thistle at the home of Shettleston Juniors.

It wasn’t an afternoon for the feint-hearted as Calderhill kicked the game off in the driving rain, and with the wind at their backs Calderhill went on the attack. Captain, Scott Jannaway, used the conditions to test the Mill Utd keeper when he sent an ambitious long range free kick skidding off the surface. Nathan Wharton between the sticks saved well under pressure.

A short time later and Calderhill won another free kick as a Mill Utd clearance was held up in the wind, prompting a scrappy foul 25 yards from goal. Jannaway had a second opportunity to use the wind to his advantage but fired a powerful effort just wide of the left post.

Before long Mill Utd came into the game and adopted a tactic of keeping the ball on the deck to avoid the obvious problems caused by wind, as they set about trying to work the channels. It was a full blooded game. Mill Utd captain Kieran Connachan received a bloodied mouth after becoming the meat in a Calderhill sandwich. Then a high impact collision knocked Mill Utd’s Ben Robert Falconer flat out. Nobody on the park could be accused of pulling out of a challenge.

Calderhill nearly broke the deadlock through Mathew Coghill. A scramble in the box resulted in a Coghill shot into ground which saw the ball bounce over the goalkeeper who recovered well to tip the ball over the bar.

Then the opening goal was scored up the other end of the park by Mill Utd midfielder Darren Sneddon. Scott Nicol on the left wing was majestic, turning the full back inside out, before he picked out Sneddon arriving from midfield in the six yard box to finish clinically. 1-0.

The game roared on and there were ferocious battles taking place all over the park. Calderhill’s Stephen Cowan was grafting hard upfront in isolation much of the time, but managing to make a nuisance of himself, while Jordon Conlon went to war in midfield. Although equally gritty, Mill Utd were more composed on the ball and showed more quality. Nicol utilised his great range of passing from left back, while Sneddon was cool under pressure in the engine room and striker Dean Lindsay was making intelligent dangerous runs.

Mill Utd scored their second goal on the brink of half time, and it was a goal that could have been avoided from a Calderhill perspective. A corner kick was whipped into the six yard box from the left corner flag and the ball was glanced towards goal by Nicol. The keeper fumbled and the ball was judged to have crossed the line before it was scooped clear behind the feet of the goalkeeper. It was a crucial blow at the midway stage of the match.

Calderhill came out fighting for the second half as they went head-to-head with the Mill Utd defence, and the howling wind. Conlon was getting some joy on the right but his crosses were being dealt with well by Wharton in the Mill Utd goal. Calderhill came close again when a Jake Hughes header powered towards the roof of the net from a Jannaway corner, but Wharton again saved superbly with bodies around him.

As the half grew older the intense Calderhill pressure increased as they went hunting for a goal to bring them back into the game. Mill Utd however were resilient. In fact, the better chances seemed to fall to Mill Utd. A counter-attack resulted in an unorthodox John Morrice volley off the bar. The agile twisted-body effort left the keeper well beaten and the Mill Utd attacker was very unlucky to miss out on what would have been a picture perfect goal. Then another quick break saw an equally spectacular Dave Reid overhead kick from range sail just wide of the upright.

Mill Utd’s killer third goal arrived half way through the second half. A punt up the park, after a Calderhill long throw was gathered by the goalkeeper, allowed Lindsay to outrun the Calderhill defence and slide the ball under the keeper to make it 3-0. It was a cool finish by a striker who had threatened all afternoon through his impressive movement.

A quick response was needed and Calderhill almost pulled a goal back through another Jannaway free kick. This time the powerful effort was well saved low at the right post by Wharton.

With the trophy slipping further from their grasp, Calderhill switched their formation to 3-4-3 in their desperation for a goal. It left them evermore vulnerable to counter-attacks and it proved devastating when Mill Utd scored their fourth. A quick pass over the top of the Calderhill defence sent Gary McInall one-on-one with the goalkeeper and the big striker blasted home to make it 4-0.

The brutal blow of a fourth goal was further compounded shortly later when Sneddon scored his second, and Mill Utd’s fifth. Sneddon latched onto a clearance from within the Calderhill box and launched a right foot rocket into the back of the net from 25 yards. 5-0.

With the game drawing to a close Mill Utd looked to add further insult to injury when an Alexander Hill left foot shot zipped just wide after a good passing move.

Calderhill went out fighting to the last and were nearly rewarded with a consolation goal when Conlon went twisting and turning in the box, before blasting a right foot shot into the side netting. Steven Seaton then hit the same side net moments later after running beyond the Mill Utd defence and shooting from a tight angle.

It was Mill Utd’s day and the referee blew the full time whistle to delight the stands and the dug out. A nice touch saw Michael Coventry, missing through leg brake sustained mid-week, lift the trophy before his jubilant team mates. The celebrations capped-off a well earned victory and another deserved trophy in the cabinet for the victors.