​Jeanfield travelled to Burrelton for the decisive final clash of the League Cup group stage. With the Swifts sitting on nine points and Burrelton on six, the stakes were clear: the winner would take top spot and book a home quarter-final tie against Balmoral, while the runner-up faced an away trip to Alyth. Under gale-force conditions far better suited to flying kites than playing football.

​Having won the toss, Jeanfield opted to play with the wind at their backs. The decision paid dividends on 11 minutes following a spell of sustained pressure. Robbie Green unleashed a 30-yard thunderbolt that was blocked by a defender, but the rebound fell kindly to Kyle MacDonald, who drilled the ball home from a tight angle to put the Swifts in front.

​Burrelton responded quickly. On 15 minutes, they squandered a golden opportunity by blazing over the bar from just five yards out. Two minutes later, however, they made amends. A deep cross caught the wind to reach the back post, where an attacker brought it down smartly to slot home the equaliser.

Burrelton attempted to use the gale to hold up play, while Jeanfield struggled to adapt their passing game to the conditions, creating half-chances without seriously troubling the home goal before the break.

​Turning to face the wind in the second half, Jeanfield adapted immediately. Just three minutes after the restart, goalkeeper Jordan Welch launched a direct kick forward, Kros Brown flicked it on, and Jack Jardine timed his run to beat the offside trap before dispatching a sharp half-volley beyond the keeper to restore the lead.

​The Swifts pushed to extend their advantage, but several promising breaks were halted by contentious offside decisions—some called even inside their own half.

As both teams battled deteriorating playing conditions, Burrelton ended up launching long balls into the danger zone. The Swifts' backline held firm, winning aerial duels and relying on Welch, who commanded his area with a couple of decisive punches.

​The referee’s final whistle confirmed a hard-fought 2–1 victory, sending Jeanfield through as group winners by a comfortable six-point margin.

Fulltime
Burrelton Rovers AFC 1
Jeanfield Swifts AFC 2

K.MacDonald ⚽
J Jardine ⚽

Man of the Match was Rian Shillan with an exceptional performance at the heart of the defence, organising the backline and stifling Burrelton’s attacks in brutal conditions.

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