mii.sportsltd

BEING favourites to win the under-17 age group of the Scottish Youth FA Challenge Cup at Airdrie seemed to affect the brilliant young Leith Athletic squad and it wasn’t until late in the second half before they finally got the better of a very Johnstone Burgh side in a tremendous final in the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie. This was a classical game of football between two good passing teams and both the Leith and Johnstone outfits were backed on the terracing with a terrific following from all parts of clubs which have such strong ties within the respective communities in which their are based. It was a game full of excitement and tension and that showed among the Leith players in the first half. Johnstone Burgh were forced to defend their goal in the opening stages of a game played in lovely weather but the Leith defence were in action as too, with Liam Rafferty showing up well and the Leith No 5 went on to be one of the stars of the day in the Leith ranks. Johnstone Burgh cleared a Darren Lavery net-bound header off the goal-line while Chris McLaughlin was prominent in raids on the Leith goal. In another tremendous attack on the Johnstone goal, a Michael Lynch free kick from the left was met at the back post by Johnny Coleman but his header was again cleared off the line. The game settled and the quality of passing from both teams was exceptional, with passes to feet and good movement to the constant roars from the terracing. Leith striker, Jack Combe, found it hard going against the well-organised and quick tackling Burgh defence but the Leith No 9 brought out a wonderful save from goalkeeper, Patrick Doherty when he hammered a volley downward and the ball took a wicked bounce as it headed for the top right-hand corner of the net - only for Doherty to launch himself at the ball and deflect it behind for a corner. A wonderful effort from Combe and an incredible save from Doherty. In another brilliant passing move, involving Jamie Burstow and Steven Dignan, the ball was again played into Combe in the 18yd box in front of goal and this gifted young player turned his marker brilliantly to fire in another great effort that deserved a goal, but Combe’s shot went just over the bar for a goal kick. Another free kick from Bustow went ever so close to producing the opener for Leith, then they found themselves 1-0 down against the run of play from a penalty given against Rafferty for using an arm to control a bouncing ball on the very edge of the 18yd box in the 19^th minute. McLaughlin gave Mark Tait no chance from the resultant spot-kick and that goal acted as a confidence boster to Johnstone Burgh. It showed in their play and they looked a very good side indeed, with Leith taking time to get over the shock of going behind. The Capital outfit did regain their momentum with Dignan causing havoc in the Johnstone goalmouth after a great run and shot. But Leith had work to do in defence, particularly in a wonderful passing move from the Burgh outfit, the ball being moved quickly and accurately in a move that involved John McLister, Sean McInally, Paul McCormick, Steven Wright then back to McLister who shot over the bar. Leith picked up the pace of the game after that and they looked much more like themselves as they mounted several good attacks in a big to get back on level terms. Leith duly got the goal they thoroughly deserved in the 37^th minute, when Combe laid the ball back in to the path of Lynch who scored with a great shot from 16yd out. At the end of a tremendous first half of non-stop action and good football, the score was 1-1 and the exciting atmosphere and friendliness in the stand during the break did not drop at all - with a Leith supporter going among the spectators handing out filled rolls. Leith started the second half in impressive form, wining two free kicks and Burstow saw a good effort hit the top of the bar and go over for a goal kick. In another raid on the Johnstone Burgh goal, Combe was knocked over but the very good match referee, William Geekie, was well placed and play was waved on. In the 6th minute of the second half, Leith went 2-1 down, with the goal coming from another of the very good players on view, James Penders, sending a great shot past Tait from the right in to the far corner of the net. The shock waves from losing that goal reverberated around the terracing at the Leith end of the Excelsior Stadium! It was squeaky-bum time among the Leith fans but the introduction of substitutes by team boss, Derek Liddel, turned the game back in favour of the crack outfit from the South East Region Youth FA. Johnstone Burgh’s defence had performed heroically up until then, but Leith really turned it on and they they squared the game at 2-2 in the 32^nd minute with a wonder goal from substitute, Stuart Lord, who scored with a header - his first touch of the ball after being coming on - following a tremendous cross from the right from Jason Stevens. There was only one team going to win the game after that - Leith Athletic! The took control of the game with wave after wave of attacks on their opponents' goal. Big Scott Sime, another of the inspired Leith substitutions was immense in midfield and his powerful challenges proved vital for Leith. Players were treated for knocks while others collapsed, suffering from cramp, but nothing was going to stop Leith winning the cup. Stephen Barrie looked to have been held back in another surging run in to Johnstone goalmouth, but play was again waved on by the excellent match official. The winner came in another alll-out attack on the Johnstone goal, with another quite exceptional cross from the right, deep towards the far post being headed home brilliantly by Rafferty in a ruck of players to make it 3-2. It was sheer bedlam after that and the game went in to time added on and it took a good save from Tait to calm the nerves on the terracing among the, by then, bouncing Leith contingent and the final whistle sparked off the most amazing celebrations among the Leith players, their officials and spectators. Anyone arriving for the next final, the under-19 age group event between Drumchapel and Bonnyton Thistle, was left in no doubt which of the two sides had won - Leith Athletic! This was a ‘quality’ final and it was graced by the presence of SFA Chief Executive, Gordon Smith, once again. The SFA supremo was at Airdrie on two of the three days the Festival of Finals took place. SYFA president, Jim Cameron, added his praise to the two teams when he said: “What a wonderful game of football. This final also illustrated the effect football teams have on their respective communities in Scotland. Both Leith and Johnstone Burgh brought huge numbers of fans with them and the feeling of excitement and enjoyament within the stadium was wonderful!” The washed out, emotionally, Leith coaches had the biggest smiles on their faces at the finish, with Derek Liddel sporting the biggest grin of all when he said: “It was a wonderful second half from our team. It is another great day for Leith Athletic!“ It was a magnificent day for football as well, thanks to both teams, their officials and fabulous fans! Last word went to the lovely Elaine Lord, mother of the scorer of the second goal for Leith, and she summed it up perfectly when she said: “It was absolute magic!”

THE Tommy Cairns Memorial Cup may not be the most prestigious event in the Lothian & Edinburgh Amateur FA, but the final between Lothian Thistle and Breck Hermitage at Newcraighall Park was one of the best this season in the biggest amateur set-up in Scotland. Part of the reason why it was such a good, enjoyable and sporting game was down to the attitude of the players taking part, but the lovely maintained pitch belonging to Newcraighall Leith Vics was also a contributory factor to this being such a good game. The playing surface of the huge pitch at Newcraighall Park was just about perfect on a rainy night in east Edinburgh, perfect for passing football and both teams responded in the most positive way possible, playing great football from start to finish. It was virually a ‘walk in the park’ for match referee, Gary McKenzie and his two assistants, Stuart Richardson and Campbell Duncan. Lothian Thistle were the better side in this game and they, deservedly, went on to win the silverware with two second half goals from Dean Walker. The very alert and quick moving Thistle No 9 finally managed to break through a very resolute Breck rearguard in the 57^th minute, running with the ball from the halfway line and then finishing off with a brilliant strike past inspired Breck keeper, Ross French. Walker scored again when he showed brilliant opportunist to rob a Breck defender of the ball before lashing a shot past French just inside the right-hand post to make it 2-0. The Hermitage combine, literally, played out of their skins in this game while French had a game he will likely look back on with fond memories for the rest of his life. Some of the saves from the Breck goalkeeper in the first half was quite magnificent and it was he who kept the scoreline blank at the half-way stage of a final that attracted a very good crowd to Newcraighall Park. Not only fans of both clubs, but people with a deep interest in amateur football, including the amazing Gordon Hall, a retired head teacher who spends a great part of his retirement going around games in both Scotland and other parts of the UK, including nearly every non-league club stadium in England. Such is the former school master's love for football and he enthused at the quality of the Tommy Cairns final along with everyone else at Newcraighall Park. Breck matched Lothian Thistle in every respect in a cracker of a first half, but Thistle always looked capable of scoring while Breck did not have anyone up front who could stick the ball in the back of the net. In the opening stages it was only the brilliance and daring of French that kept Lothian from taking an early lead. Thistle did go close to opening their account when Chris Inglis cracked a shot off a post, while a long-range effort from the winner of the man-of-the-match award, David Brown, hammered a long-range effort just over the Lothian Thistle crossbar. French performed brilliantly to block a tremendous header from Kevin Swinton and, at the other end, another cracking effort from Steve Frampton went just wide. Walker was the danger man for Lothian Thistle when they went on the attack and they had the bulk of the play in the first half, but a combination of good goalkeeping from French and bad luck ensured the sides were locked at 0-0 at the halfway stage of a very entertaining final. Newcraighall Leith Vics official, the very respected Kevin Miller was at the game to ensure everything went well, a truly wonderful and appreciated gesture by the Vics club leader, even more so considering he was still mourning the loss of his mother last week. In the second half of a game played in the gloaming as the light faded, it was Lothian Thistle that went on to clinch their first trophy of the season with Walker’s two excellent goals separating the teams at the finish. L&EAFA secretary, David Ramage, speaking prior to the presentation of the cup and individual trophies, complimented both sides on their displays, saying: “This has been a tremendous advert for amateur football and I want to thank both teams for making it such a good game. The quality of football played was exceptional and it was also played in a great spirit with excellent sportsmanship as well! I don‘t think there was one bad tackle throughout the entire game!” Even the presentation was conducted in a lovely atmosphere, with both sides mixing well and applauding each other when the medals and cup were handed over. It was a great night for everyone then in Newcraighall Public Park and there is more to come, with Mr Ramage adding: “It is very helpful for the association to have the use of this venue belonging to one of our member clubs. It is a super venue for cup finals and it will be used again for the Blaikie Cup final on Friday, May 16, with another wonderful game in prospect between Seaforth Highlanders and Edinburgh University." The kick-off is at 6.30pm and these two sides met at Roseburn last year in what is still considered to be one of the best amateur games for years. That is not surprising, considering both sides are famed for their positive attitude to the game and they also play good passing football.

Breck Hermitage - Ross French, David Brown, Scott Ross, Brian Anderson, David Aitken, Michael Carse, Andrew Stirling, Michael Laidlaw, Steven Frampton, Chris Welsh, Andy Webb, Gordon Allan, Murray Wright, Keith Miller, Mark Cassidy, Ryan Weir.

Lothian Thistle - Andy Leask, Terry Smith, Damon Otway, Jamie Mitchell, Billy Duncan, Paul Taylor, Chris Aitken, Kevin Swinton, Dean Walker, Chris Malone, Craig Yardley, Craig McIntosh, Stuart Smith, Darren Rae, Michael Smith, Steven Smith.

Referee - Gary McKenzie.