Amateur wrap: Clerry are stars | Fine Fernie | LEAFA select triumph

Clermiston Star made their higher league status show as they swept aside Civil Service Strollers 4-1 on home soil to ease through to the third round of the Logan Cup.

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After last season’s Centenary Cup win, Clerry have found a taste for success and so the Premier League outfit were desperate to avoid a potential cup upset against their Intermediate League opponents.

The home side dominated the opening period and the visitors could have had little complaints had they been three or four goals behind at the interval, but a mixture of slack finishing and good goalkeeping meant it was only 1-0 at the break following Clarke Veitch’s opener.

His goal arrived when he pounced on the rebound from Calum Jackson’s shot, the defender having surged forward from deep in his own half before unleashing a strike at goal.

Against the run of play, Strollers hit back early in the second half, before Clerry finally stamped their authority on the tie. Striker Scott Gibson bagged a quickfire double, his first an unstoppable strike high into the net at the near post, while his second saw him find the bottom corner with his weaker foot. Gibson then laid one on a plate for team-mate Shaun Dunn to slam home from close range.

Fernieside cruised through to the second round of the Challenge Cup with a 4-1 win over Hermiston Vale at Forrester High School.

With a depleted LEAFA card due to the cold weather, Fernie took advantage of their match getting the go-ahead on the artificial surface.

After a fairly even opening 20 minutes, the visitors opened the scoring through Chris Gordon on 25 minutes when he slotted in off the post from Sean McGrouther’s pass.

Just before the half-time break, Aiden Renton grabbed the crucial second for Fernie when he was set up by Darren Bell.

Gordon volleyed home for his second of the game and number three, before Vale pulled a goal back through Jamie Laing. Bell made sure of the victory in the closing stages.

A LEAFA Select side edged their Inter Association Trophy quarter-final 2-1 against a SAFL Select in Motherwell on Sunday. Goals from Tollcross Thistle’s Stewart O’Neill and Sandys striker Bob McKenzie ensured their progression to the semi-finals.