THE Border Cup final was first set to be staged in December, when it was postponed because of a frozen pitch.

Since then the battle for glory and silverware has been wiped out a further two times as frost emerged the only winner.

At Netherdale on Saturday, however, there was a new victor, and that was Hawick Legion.

For the Wilton Lodge Park side rose to the occasion, shook off the blues of some recent indifferent performances, and got on with the job in hand.

And through their brushed up, positive new look, they ended up bringing the Border Cup back to Hawick.

Legion emerged the first to look dangerous when Simon Philbin threaded the ball to Steven Lamb, who rattled in an angled shot that forced Pencaitland keeper Craig Puck into a diving save.

With both defences giving nothing away, very little was being created. In the 24th minute, however, Legion soared ahead with a fine goal.

Showing a good touch of pace after latching onto a Gary Rathie pass, Philbin burst through the Pencaitland rearguard. He had a great chance to score himself, but instead struck an inside pass into the path of Peter Gellaitry, who produced a spot-on finish.

With the livewire Philbin troubling Pencaitland with some slick approach play, Legion kept up the good work and Taylor Hope found himself in the clear from a Philbin pass only to shoot straight at Puck.

After Jamie Brown had headed an Innes Zanatti free-kick narrowly over the bar at the other end, Legion added to their tally in the 41st minute.

After running onto a ball from Rathie, Callum Hope fed Philbin, and the Legion youngster calmly tucked a shot out of the reach of Puck.

Legion continued to show up well after the break, with Gellaitry heading a free-kick over the bar and Callum Hope thwarted by a Puck save.

From here on, however, Pencaitland began to get the bit between their teeth and Craig Hamilton twice came near to netting within a matter of minutes.

Deputy Legion keeper Chris Stitt then pulled out the stops by brilliantly turning a Brown shot round the post following good play by Paul Bestford.

Zanatti floated over the resultant corner, which Stitt attempted to fist clear. The big keeper got it wrong though with a mishit punch that saw the ball spin backwards towards goal, but Lamb was on the line to clear.

Minutes later Stitt was back in action and he made amends for his previous error by pulling off an excellent save from Brown.

Legion were now under pressure, but they were still a danger on the counter attack and Callum Hope twice failed to cash in on chances to score.

With seven minutes remaining Pencaitland pulled a goal back, when George Cunningham hit home an Allan free-kick in a crowded goalmouth.
Desperate for an equaliser they pushed forward at every opportunity, but Legion were having none of it and held on to claim the win and the honour of lifting the Border Cup.

Young defender Chris Brown, who along with Philbin were Legion's top performers, said: "It's great to have won a cup final and I'm really chuffed. We were under a lot of pressure in the second half, but I felt we could hold out sand we did."

LEGION: Stitt, Brown, Rathie, McConnell, Tait, Gellaitry, T. Hope, Lamb, C. Hope, Philbin and Maltman. Substitutes: Cooper, Gardner, Aries and McColm