Leith Athletic 13s make it a quartet of trophies

Leith Athletic A Team 13s picked up their fourth cup success of the season as they defeated Longniddry Villa 13s 4-0 in the Lothian Buses Cup final.
Leith Athletic A Team 13 celebrate winning the Lothian Buses Cup against Longniddry Villa. Pic: TSPLLeith Athletic A Team 13 celebrate winning the Lothian Buses Cup against Longniddry Villa. Pic: TSPL
Leith Athletic A Team 13 celebrate winning the Lothian Buses Cup against Longniddry Villa. Pic: TSPL

After lifting the Peter O’Neil Cup, the Stewart Brien Cup and the South East Region, Leith were looking to secure a quartet of honours as they faced a tricky tie against Villa.

On a wet and windy morning at New Dundas Park in Bonnyrigg, Villa began competitively, with neither side really able to hold onto the ball for any lengthy period of time.

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as the game reached the 
ten-minute mark there was still little creation in the final third from either Villa or Leith.

Leith began to show a bit more composure on the ball and after a period of possession they eventually got a shot on target. Strathy Mackay picked up the ball from 25 yards before firing a first-time shot that Villa goalie Shaun Lang matched with a comfortable save.

Eventually possession switched hands and Villa began to work the ball around well themselves, finally leading to their first shot on goal. 
Captain Benjamin Wright picked up the ball from out wide on the right before striking a hopeful effort on target, but Leith goalie Jamie Smith plucked the ball out of the aid with ease.

Villa started to look a bit 
more assured in attack, not afraid to have a go at their opponents and once more they came close to breaking the deadlock. Sebastian Mackay saw his shot from out wide on the left hit the side-netting with Smith anxiously watching the ball.

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Up the other end, Leith had their best chance of the half to go in front. A through ball allowed Ben Murray in behind the Villa defence and although he sent the ball under the body of keeper Lang, Arron Darge did fantastically well to track back and clear the ball off the line as both teams went in at the interval with the score goalless.

Leith started the second half by really putting pressure on Villa and they made sure to test Lang as soon as they could from the restart. Murray received the ball from the right and on the edge of the box he let fly on the Villa goal, but the man between the sticks was equal to it once more.

Leith had persevered and they eventually had their reward ten minutes into the second half. Lewis Owens’ free-kick on the right hand side was hit well and the ball snuck under the body of Lang and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Villa’s resilience was broken and two minutes later Leith doubled their advantage. A corner half cleared by Villa was put back into the box by Mackay and Thomas Ramage sidestepped Lang to bury the ball in the back of the net for 2-0.

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Villa looked to find a route back into the final with 15 minutes remaining, but they couldn’t quite take their opportunity. Gary Robertson chased onto a ball on the right flank before delivering a low ball into Mackay, but the forward couldn’t quite get enough power behind the shot to test keeper Smith.

It was almost a lifeline for Villa, but late on Leith sealed another cup final victory. A ball over from the left hand side reached Kerr on the right hand side of the box and he laced a shot straight into the bottom left corner of the Villa goal to make it 3-0.

There was still time late on for Leith to add another with Villa’s heads down. Mackay’s free-kick on the right picked out the head of Kerr in the area and his glanced effort sailed into the left hand corner to make it four goals and four trophies for the boys in black and white.

Longniddry Villa 13s: Shaun Lang, Fergus Williams, Stuart Lindsay, Arron Darge, Benjamin Smith, Robbie Burgoyne, Benjamin Wright, Sebastian Mackay, Matthew McMillan, Dylan Dickie, Jack Clark, Harvey Thomson, Gary Robertson.

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Leith Athletic A Team 13s: Jamie Smith, Cameron Kerr, Daniel Turner, Cameron Stewart, Euan Howie, Adam Zajac, Ethan Wynne, Lewis Owens, Ben Murray, John Ward, Strathy Mackay, Sam Lewis, Thomas Ramage, Cal Stenhouse, Owen Gray.

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