Veteran striker Kyle Lafferty proved he’s still got a touch of magic on Sunday afternoon as he fired Johnstone Burgh to glory in the Scottish Junior Cup final.
The 37-year-old Northern Ireland international, who scored 20 goals for his country, came off the bench in the second half of the dramatic final at Broadwood Stadium. With the match ending in a 1–1 draw after regulation time, Lafferty stepped up to score the decisive penalty in a 4–2 shootout win, clinching the silverware for the West of Scotland Premier Division side.
Tranent had looked the more likely in the early stages and took a first-half lead thanks to a Harry Girdwood header. But Burgh rallied late, with Ciaran Diver netting the equaliser just 16 minutes from time, setting the stage for a tense finale.
The match marked another chapter in a remarkable career for Lafferty, who joined Johnstone Burgh in 2023 after leaving Linfield. His CV reads like a tour of Europe’s footballing landscape, with spells at clubs including Rangers, Burnley, Palermo, Norwich City, Hearts, and even Cyprus’s Anorthosis Famagusta.
Now, he’s added a Scottish Junior Cup to that long list of achievements—this time as a grassroots hero in front of a delighted Burgh support.
Paisley Photographs 