Youth wrap: Stewart Brien Cup glory for Leith

Leith Athletic A Team 13s held off a valiant Longniddry Villa 13s to lift the Stewart Brien Cup with a 3-2 triumph at New Dundas Park.
Leith Athletic A Team 13s raced into a 3-0 lead in their final and that was enough to clinch silverware. Pic: TSPLLeith Athletic A Team 13s raced into a 3-0 lead in their final and that was enough to clinch silverware. Pic: TSPL
Leith Athletic A Team 13s raced into a 3-0 lead in their final and that was enough to clinch silverware. Pic: TSPL

Athletic struck first when they broke upfield and in a three-on-one situation, the ball was played out to Cameron Kerr to burst through and fire home.

Despite the scoreline, Villa were passing the ball about well, but they just weren’t quite able to test Athletic keeper Jamie Smith .

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Athletic, however, confirmed their superiority at the start of the second half. Another counter-attack ended up with Kerr netting again and shortly afterwards they went 3-0 up when Strathy Mackay sent a thunderbolt of a free-kick into the Villa goal from 40 yards.

Villa kept at it despite the three-goal deficit and pulled two goals back through Benjamin Smith and Robbie Burgoyne, but despite their best efforts they could not force extra-time.

• Edinburgh City 16s ran riot in their Division 3 League Cup final, defeating Preston Athletic 16s 6-1 at New Dundas Park.

City, having gone unbeaten in the league this season, rounded off an impressive season with cup final glory, dominating the game throughout.

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Ryan Deans was first on the scoresheet, firing home from close range, but Athletic responded when Jedrek Susik ran through on goal and steered the ball home.

City, however, were undeterred and they found the net twice more before the break to make it 3-1. Jamie Black headed his side back in front from a corner before Jason Whitehead buried a penalty after he was taken out in the box.

It didn’t get any easier for Athletic as City maintained their attacking efforts in the second half. Whitehead bagged another for his side as he rounded off a patient attacking move involving Aidan Lawson and Kyle Rylance with a neat finish.

There was no mercy from City and Whitehead chased a ball through the middle to pick his spot and bag a hat-trick before Black put the icing on the cake with his side’s sixth.

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• Kirkliston South Queensferry 13s kept the pressure on Division 3 leaders North Merchiston as they defeated Salvesen CFC 13s 4-1.

Kirkliston more than matched their opponents in the early stages of the league tie. After patiently probing away at the Salvie defence they took the lead eight minutes in when Michael Wallace rounded off some good link-up play in midfield.

Salvie wasted little time in carving out a response. Kirkliston goalie Nicol Heriot fouled Owen Irvine in the box and Irvine stepped up to put the penalty away himself.

Kirkliston kept focused on the task ahead and remained composed to go back ahead midway through the half. Lucas Armas’ shot from the edge of the box got a little help from the wind to take the ball into the bottom-left corner.

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Then, in similar circumstances, Armas’ team-mate Robbie Main also picked out the Salvie net from just outside the penalty box with the wind helping the ball into the goal.

To their credit, Salvie kept fighting throughout, but Kirkliston weren’t about to give up their lead. Late on Quinn Mitchell sealed victory as he sprinted down the left-hand side to send a chip over the head of Salvie goalie Reece Purves.

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