Conor Mcgarrity the star as Colts are undone by Fernieside

Published on Wednesday 18 November 2009 09:21

FERNIESIDE stormed the all-Division 3 tie against Leith Athletic Colts to surge into the next round of the South East Region 14s Paladin Cup at Leith Links with three second-half goals to down their hosts.

Despite a series of first-half chances, it took a Conor Mcgarrity-inspired Fernie until ten minutes into the second half to break the deadlock, but from that point on there was little doubt which side would progress in the tournament.

Fernie's Darrell Henderson was first to try his luck on Colts keeper Gavin Stewart's goal with an audacious long-range attempt. After a Leith goal-kick fell to the feet of the midfielder, he instinctively pinged the ball straight back towards goal, but the ball fell narrowly wide of the right-hand post with Stewart stranded.

Two minutes later, the visiting touchline of parents and coaches were forced to swallow their cheers as Fernie's Nicholas Henderson looked momentarily to have scored, but his top corner-bound effort was plucked from the air by Stewart, whose brilliant reflex save silenced the brief celebrations.

The Leith goalkeeper's handling throughout the match was consistently reliable, and for all Fernie's dominance it looked as though Colts might salvage something from the game if only for the efforts of their No.1.

Dean Pitablo's free-kick, which fizzed by Stewart's left-hand post, was the final Fernie effort of the opening 35 minutes, but in the second half the Gilmerton Park side were to prove far more clinical in front of goal.

Mcgarrity was a source of constant menace to those Colts patrolling the right flank, and a typical combination of power and skill led to the Fernie No.6 hitting the first goal of the tie.

The Leith defence seemed prepared only for the ball to run out of play for a Fernie throw-in, but Mcgarrity bamboozled them all by rushing to keep the ball in play. With that, he further flummoxed Colts and meandered down the left wing at some speed before cutting inside the penalty area, almost unchallenged, to fire low into the far corner of the net.

Sixty seconds later, on 46 minutes, the ball broke to Pitablo five yards from the same goal at a corner kick, and his clinical finish put Fernie two to the good.

From a similar position soon after, Darrell Henderson was unable to convert a gilt-edged chance and Fernie's towering defender Kieran Park showed his aerial dominance at a succession of corners but was unable to find the net with a hat trick of headers.

A ridiculously late challenge on the inside corner of the penalty area by Colts' Jonathan Shepherd on the effervescent Mcgarrity sealed Leith's fate with 22 minutes still remaining. Fernie's Ryan Gordon confidently dispatched the resultant spot-kick, and despite a late Logan Rutherford consolation strike for Leith it was the visitors who marched into the next round.

Darren Follett, part of the Fernie coaching team, was delighted with a rare away win.

He said: "We've had an up and down season but done not too badly in the cup competitions. Our home form has been good and away not-so-good, but today I thought the whole team played well. I was disappointed that we couldn't score earlier in the game with all the chances we had."

Follett also had praise for left midfielder Mcgarrity, who impressed as he opened the scoring and won the penalty that led to the third goal. "Conor gives the same week in, week out," said Follett. "He takes a lot of knocks but gets straight back up again, and reminds me a bit of Jimmy Johnstone in that way."

Leith Athletic Colts: Gavin Stewart, James Gordon, Mark Reynolds, Brendon Meikle, Kyle Roberts, Jason Sutherland, Thomas Davidson, Kevin Falconer, James Jainey, Jonathan Shepherd, Rory Gallagher, Chris Robertson, Mark Latta, Kyle Mackay, Logan Rutherford, Daniel Robertson.

Fernieside: Andrew Punton, Jamie Stewart, Daniel Scott, Ryan Gordon, Kieran Park, Conor Mcgarrity, Darrell Henderson, Andrew Kovacs, Dean Pitablo, Scott Henderson, Ryan Scott, Frazer Orr, Nicholas Henderson, Liam Baillie.