Leith show just why they are the envy of their rivals

Published on Monday 8 June 2009 11:42

LEITH ATHLETIC under-19s have a problem: how do they improve on perfection?

From the solid and reliable David Duncan in goal through to the level head and predatory instinct of Jack Combe at the spearhead of their forward line, Leith have a backbone that is the envy of all teams around them and a strength in depth that renders any game a mismatch before the teams have even taken the field.

Their Royal Edinburgh Cup final against Musselburgh Windsor was no different.

While it looked in the early exchanges as though the East Lothian side, who worked hard to reach this stage of the competition, would provide a stiff test to their high-flying rivals, the cagey opening served only as a reminder that perhaps Leith require a certain time to begin to move through the gears.

Twenty-one minutes, to be precise, but it was well worth the wait. Winger Jamie Burstow set the tone for a comprehensive 5-0 victory with the sweetest of strikes, freeing himself from the shackles of his marker 30 yards from goal before striding forward and smacking the ball cleanly into the right-hand corner of Alistair Adam's goal. Though the ball flew towards him at waist height, Adam was unable to get anywhere near the ball as he remained rooted to his goal line.

Lewis Martin hit the post from a narrow angle on 29 minutes, but the fact he didn't appear fazed or frustrated by the missed opportunity suggested Leith were confident to the core. The only frustration came later, when Martin realised the linesman had flagged for offside.

Captain Paul Coleman, winding up his time with the club due to age restrictions, was workmanlike and creative throughout the match. Dropping his shoulder to deceive Darren Davidson on 32 minutes, the route to goal cleared before him, but a curling left-foot shot rose just over the bar.

Windsor, for their part, were far from overrun in the first half and created openings of their own. The most clear-cut of those came on the stroke of half-time, when Lewis Russell beat Leith defender Liam Rafferty but the subsequent dipping shot was directed straight at goalkeeper Duncan.

Immediately after the interval, Leith asserted their superiority and doubled their lead.

Combe squeezed in a shot on goal that was blocked by a forest of legs, but the ball fell kindly for lofty full-back Christopher Barrie, who rifled it low into the right-hand corner.

As the Leith onslaught continued, the third goal arrived after 58 minutes with the diligent Combe the deserving beneficiary.

Paul Coleman reached the byline and floated a ball across to Combe, who, with his back to goal, flicked the ball up and pirouetted to smash a volley on the turn low into the net.

Shortly after the hour mark, Windsor's Keith D'Arcy kept the deficit at three all by himself.

Firstly, he repelled a Johnny Coleman header off the line, then heroically kept out the rebound. Goalkeeper Adam then immediately played his part by beating away Christopher Barrie's follow-up. With 20 minutes on the clock, Burstow bagged his second of the evening to make it four. Substitute Michael Lynch played the ball to Combe on the edge of the penalty area, again with his back to goal. He spun to release the ball to Lynch, who advanced into the box and hit a powerful low shot into the bottom-left corner.

Windsor goalie Adam would have been disappointed at being beaten at his near post for Leith's fourth, but was helpless at the fifth strike of the evening as Lynch met a cross unmarked at close range and headed the ball into a gaping goal.

Athletic coach Paul Adamson was unsure how his side could possibly raise their game with next season in mind.

"We'll get one or two others into the squad for next season, but it'll take a very good player to come in," he said. "We're losing one player, Paul Coleman, who'll be too old for next season and will be a big loss.

"Musselburgh only had the bare eleven but put in a magnificent performance. Towards the end they ran out of steam, which was probably down to a mix of heat and no substitutes."

Leith Athletic: David Duncan, Christopher Barrie, James Robson, Matthew Hubbard, Liam Rafferty, Johnny Coleman, Lewis Martin, Paul Coleman, Jack Combe, Darren Lavery, Jamie Burstow, Leith McKenzie, Neil Lowson, Michael Lynch, Antony Marziban.

Musselburgh Windsor: Alistair Adam, Ross Cowan, Lewis Knight, Darren Bowie, Ryan Park, Jordan Davidson, Jason Kidd, Darren Davidson, Lewis Russell, Steven Ferguson, Keith D'Arcy, John Turner.