Amateur LEAFA: Edinburgh Caledonian leapfrog Pentland Athletic - with both teams finishing with nine men

Ruthless Edinburgh Caledonian leapfrogged fellow title-chasers Pentland Athletic to go top of the Sunday Morning Premier Division with a 2-1 win at Peffermill.

Edinburgh Caledonian were victorious.

Striker Chris Jones was the Caley hero with a double strike in an eventful second half which saw both sides end the match with only nine men on the park in what was by no means a dirty game.

Caley were second best to their visitors from Penicuik in the first half, who certainly had the better of the chances.

Pentland striker Craig O’Reilly hasn’t found it difficult to find the back of the net this season, but he was off target with an effort after 15 minutes which flashed wide of Steven Parker’s right-hand post.

Everything good about Pentland was coming through their big striker, and he presented Robbie Polson with the chance to find the net but the winger headed wide of the back post.

Caley’s Ryan Harrison-White and Pentland’s Stevie Peat both saw red from referee Kev Masterson early in the second half after a coming together off the ball, which came immediately after Polson had struck the post.

Jones was clinical when presented with his first chance, turning his marker before arrowing a strike into the bottom corner for the opening goal.

Caley were inches away from making it two from a corner-kick with the ball coming off a Pentland defender before rebounding to safety.

An excellent last-ditch block from Caley captain Chris Dolan prevented a certain equaliser before Jones powered a header into the net from Dom Siudzinski’s cross.

Pentland’s Gary Nicholson and Orin Parkinson of the home side were both sent-off by referee Masterson, and soon after, Dan Moffat pulled a goal back with a looping header.

Elsewhere, Leith Athletic thumped Dalkeith Thistle 5-0 away from home in Saturday’s Division 1 East.

Chris Inglis had Leith a goal in front at the interval, before the blew their hosts away in the second half. Sean Aitchison doubled their lead and a Dalkeith own goal soon increased their advantage further.

Aitchison got his second of the afternoon from Ryan Philip’s assist, before Jake Montgomery crossed for Jack Mackinnon to header in their fifth.