Ex-Rangers ace nets winning Junior Cup final penalty as he reveals first-day demand from club bosses
They had waited a long time to get their hands on the trophy
CIARAN DIVER hailed Johnstone Burgh's comeback kings after Kyle Lafferty slammed home the winning penalty to end a 57-year wait to lift the Scottish Junior Cup.
Hitman Diver netted a stunning equaliser at Broadwood as the West Premier aces hit back to finish strongly against Lowland League Tranent.
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Kyle Lafferty holds aloft the Scottish Junior Cup
Credit: SNS
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It was Johnstone's first success for nearly 60 years
Credit: SNS
Then the man of the match was among the scorers in the shootout as Murdo MacKinnon's men lifted the trophy for the first time since 1968 – and avenged a loss on penalties in their last final appearance 25 years ago.
Former Rangers ace Lafferty – thrown on from the bench in a triple substitution by the Burgh boss on the hour mark – netted the clinching spot-kick with a deadly finish into the top corner.
And Diver insisted he always felt it was going to be Burgh's day.
The striker said: 'I just felt as the game went on and got longer I felt I was growing into the game more and more, I felt a lot sharper.
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'We've been a goal down many a time since I've been here and we always seem to find a way back into it.
"It doesn't faze us as a team, we always know that we will get a chance, that another one will come and the boys just keep digging in.
'At no point did I think we would lose the game, even at 1-0 down. I knew we would still get a chance."
Lafferty told BBC Alba: 'It's a final and you always want to get to finals no matter what standard you're playing in.
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'When I signed for the club that was the first thing they said to me - 'We need to win the Scottish Cup'.
'That was what they wanted as it had been a long, long time since they had even reached a final never mind winning it.
Ex-Rangers and Hearts star Kyle Lafferty sees red for horror tackle in Johnstone Burgh WOSFL clash with Auchinleck Talbot
'Obviously this means everything to the community, not just the club.
'Just look at the turn-out today from all the Johnstone Burgh fans.
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'It was brilliant and we got over the line.'
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