Youth round-up: Plethora of Lothians clubs clinch silverware
It was a physical game with players not afraid to commit to a challenge, but the opening aggression was tamed and both teams started to create chances.
Ben Murray grabbed the only goal of the first half after beating his marker for pace and dispatching the ball past the keeper.
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Hide AdThe second half started quickly, with Rory Hunter and a second for Murray extending Leith’s lead to 3-0.
With Leith in control, they were shocked by their opponents as they managed to pull two goals back. However, just when it looked as if they were finding their way back into the match, Ben McGinnis finished off some great passing play to restore the two-goal cushion.
Euan Donaldson looped a great header over the keeper to bring Villa back into contention at 4-3, but Thomas Ramage sealed the victory for Leith with an impressive strike late on.
Both teams showed good character throughout the match to keep the game competitive, but ultimately Leith deserved their 5-3 victory.
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Hide AdA last-minute strike sealed victory for Tynecastle Under-16s in a tight game against Cavalry Park that ended 2-1.
Tynecastle got off to a flyer by scoring in the sixth minute. The goal came as a result of a corner that was whipped into the box towards centre-halves Josh Winnik and Scott Jardine. Cavalry Park keeper Dean Beveridge pulled off a brilliant double save, but Jardine was able to find the net at the second time of asking.
Despite a dominant performance going into half-time, Beveridge kept the score at only 1-0.
In the second half Cavalry Park came out fighting and Daniel Maposa impressed in the centre of midfield. They deservedly equalised, poking the ball past the keeper after a mad scramble in front of goal.
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Hide AdBeveridge was called into action a further few times, but was helpless to stop Kieran Ngwenya’s volley finding the back of the net as Tynecastle walked away as U-16 South East Region champions.
Hutchison Vale Under-13s and Under-14s were each crowned South East Region Champions by defeated Lasswade Thistle 4-0 and Linlithgow Rose CFC 5-0 respectively.
Spartans Under-17s were too much to handle for Bathgate Thistle as they won 3-2 to lift the trophy.
Calum Page made it 1-0 to Spartans after five minutes of play with a powerful header, but Bathgate equalised in the 15th minute. However, Craig Turnbull scored a further two for Spartans before the break taking the score to 3-1.
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Hide AdSpartans added no further goals in the second half, but with Bathgate only able to find the net again deep into stoppage time, they left it too late to mount a comeback.
It took penalties to separate Airdrie United Under-19s and Musselburgh Windsor. It remained goal-less after full-time and extra-time, but Airdrie emerged the victors taking the match 8-7 in the shoot-out.
Murieston United Under-21s continued their successful season by winning the South East Region Cup 2-0 over Leith Athletic.
They raced into an early two-goal lead through Calum Dunn and Dominick Foulkes and never looked back.
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Hide AdElsewhere, Bonnyrigg Pumas 16s clinched a 1-0 victory against an in-form Longniddry Villa to secure the Division 2 title for the first time in their history.
Pumas started the match positively and were playing free-flowing football. They capitalised on their passing play in the 27th minute when Jamie Clark found space in behind the defence and fed the ball to Evan Skelton, who scored what would turn out to be the only goal of the game.
Villa relentlessly put pressure on the Pumas goal, but they could find a way past the keeper.