The Stewart’s Melville College 1st XI completed an amazing treble for the School by winning the SISFA Cup, following on from the national successes of the rugby and hockey teams this academic year. The footballers had won eight matches in a row to qualify for the final, played at Stenhousemuir FC in the last week of April, where they faced a previously unbeaten High School of Dundee. SMC dominated the game from the first whistle, and some dazzling attacking play saw them rack up a four-one half-time lead, with goals from skipper Ben Voy, Tommy Walker, Euan Henderson and man-of-the match Euan Watson. Although the Blues played valiantly in the second half, a last minute header from leading scorer Walker was the icing on the cake as SMC ran out as convincing 5-1 winners, taking the SISFA Cup for the third time in six years.
With the team having also made the last 16 of the Scottish Senior Shield, and with two players (Cieran Dunne and Nathan Brown) having played for Scottish Schools in the Centenary Shield against the other Home Nations, this has been the most successful season yet for the SMC senior football team. Four days after the SISFA final Ben, Cieran, Euan H and Tommy rounded off an incredible season by playing for the Scottish Independent Schools’ team against their English counterparts at Altrincham FC. Ben, who is heading off to a US university on a soccer scholarship, had the honour of captaining the national side for their first ever win on English soil, whilst Euan H scored the only goal of the game with a stunning thirty yard free-kick, a fitting end to his own school footballing career as he embarks on his professional career with Heart of Midlothian FC.
Looking back over the successful season, Mr Marsh, who coaches the 1st XI along with Mr Kerr, said "we have had some exceptionally talented individuals in the team this season, but the overall success of the 1st XI has been down to a combination of commitment and teamwork."
