Under-15s mount superb fightback to triumph at Jewel

With heavy rain causing havoc with the amateur and youth football card over the weekend, the pitch, surprisingly, appeared in reasonable state to host this Division 3 clash.

It was Edina who started the match brightest and they fully deserved their opener after just seven minutes.

Callum Russell was adjudged to have fouled 20 yards from goal and Edina striker Jordan Hunter coolly stepped up to lift the ball over the wall and into the far corner. Edina continued in menacing fashion, attacking at pace down both flanks. A great run and cross from Saad Ifzal found no takers in an Edina shirt as Fernie breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Fernieside’s Craig Skirving should have levelled the match when he knocked wide from two yards after a free-kick driven in from the right rebounded off Edina  goalkeeper Blair Young and the ball landed straight at the  midfielder.

The visitors were back in the game on the half hour. A corner swung in from the left found winger Christopher Jeffrey free at the back post, and his low-driven strike into the centre of goal was turned in by Neil Lennie.

Five minutes later, Fernieside were in front. A race to the ball between Skirving and Young resulted in the goalkeeper upending the outfield player and a penalty was awarded. Russell stepped up and converted with ease.

Fernieside almost went 3-1 ahead a minute before the break when a pass from Lennie picked out the run of Jeffrey, and he brought out the best in Blair, who got in a crucial block.

Scott Little’s toe-poke from inside the box wasn’t too far away from adding to Fernieside’s lead before Skirving did convert to make it 3-1 after 55 minutes, following a fine pass from Conner Stevenson.

The home side went in search of a reply and Hunter was once again foiled by a quite brilliant save from Kai Dishington as the goalkeeper tipped the ball round the left post. However, despite Edina’s late pressure, the outcome was settled when Fernieside notched a fourth. With defender Andrew McAllister trying to surge forward, Skirving nicked the ball off his opponent and homed in on goal. McAllister thought he’d averted the danger when he got back to make a tackle, but it fell at the feet of Anthony Stone, who rolled the ball into the far corner of the net.

The away side almost managed a fifth when the energetic Skirving picked out Jeffrey just inside the penalty area, but his rasping drive clipped the top of the crossbar with Young well beaten.

Fernieside coach George  Jeffrey said: “I thought the boys played with the right attitude and distributed the ball well. I can’t fault them as they worked their socks off so I am delighted.”

Edina: Blair Young, Matthew Smith, Brandon Hunter, Lawrie Francey, Andrew McAllister, Greg White, Sean McNicol, Saad Ifzal, Jordan Hunter, Callum Connarty, Liam Henderson, Liam King, Jack Monaghan, Ben Campbell.

Fernieside: Kai Dishington, Billy Robertson, David Ryles, Neil Lennie, Callum Russell, Scott Little, Conner Stevenson, Ray Betts, Christopher Jeffrey, Cameron Wanstall, Daryl Hill, Ross Little, Anthony Stone, Dean McKenzie.