Leith victorious amid Youth Cup tension

Published on Wednesday 18 March 2009 09:07

LEITH ATHLETIC'S 4-2 win against visiting Glasgow team Park house in their Scottish Youth FA Challenge Cup replay at Leith Links was soured by the indiscipline of adults on the touchlines.

LEITH ATHLETIC'S 4-2 win against visiting Glasgow team Park house in their Scottish Youth FA Challenge Cup replay at Leith Links was soured by the indiscipline of adults on the touchlines.

These two good young sides served up a cracking game but it turned nasty in the second half of a tie that attracted a tremendous turnout of spectators.

Parkhouse came from behind in the first goal, earning this replay by scoring two goals and they again left themselves with plenty to do when Gavin Pettigrew made it 1-0 after 19 minutes and Kris McLoughlin added the second ten minutes later. That remained the score as the second half began and the trouble soon followed.

The first signs that referee Eddie Kirton-Vaughan had a real job on his hands came early on when McLoughlin was sent flying in a tough tackle and then targeted Pettigrew when he latched on to the loose ball. That prompted the first pitch confrontation, with Parkhouse No.10 Conor Gallacher having to be restrained by his team-mates. After things calmed down sufficiently, McLoughlin put Leith 3-0 up with a wonderful free-kick from 25 yards out low down to the left of Parkhouse keeper Scott Carden.

The tension among the players on the pitch was added to by adults shouting and swearing and that, sadly, went on right up to and the bad behaviour continued after the finish of the game. In fact, it was very nasty and aggressive at times. I had a position on the side of the pitch furthest away from the main road and I can only report on what I saw and heard happening on that side.

A coach with the visiting side was at least five yards on the playing surface at times, jabbing his finger at the Leith touchline and inviting them to 'shut up' in colourful language.

Steve Harris was the assistant on that side and he let it pass but then two spectators appeared on the touchline from outwith the ropes with their own brand of industrial language.

Parkhouse hit back to reduce the deficit to 3-1 with a superb headed goal from Gary McGinty and that should have raised the hopes of the Glasgow outfit that they could get back in to the game.

But common sense had gone out of the window to be replaced with outright aggression and yet another incident on the pitch saw players from both sides involved in another flare-up. Parkhouse had the chance to put pressure on the home goal from a free-kick, but the ball was sent harmlessly over in to the waiting arms of Leith's big keeper Stuart Dodds.

The frantic pace of the game continued with Ross McEntee setting off on a good run before being stopped by another stunning tackle from Michael Park.

Pettigrew then came off second best in an aerial challenge with goalkeeper, Carden, who cleared with a header. The Glasgow side went all out to score a second goal but the well-organised Leith rearguard played brilliantly. Kayne Paterson then sent a shot wide at the Parkhouse end before play switched to the Leith goal, where Gallacher was off target with a shot. Then came the real flash-point of the game and after a prolonged stoppage a player from each side was sent off.

It was ironic that two players were punished when the real culprit was left to shout and swear from the touchlines!

Towards the end, McBride lashed another tremendous strike at Dodds but it was too straight and the Leith keeper palmed the ball down before clearing.

In the almost white-hot temperature in the closing stages, Leith broke away down the right and Carden came away off his line to take the legs from the flying McLoughlin inside the penalty box. However, the match referee only showed a yellow card to the goalie, but McLoughlin still scored from the resultant spot-kick to fire Leith in to a 4-1 lead and a certain place in the semi-finals of this age group.

Before the final whistle, Parkhouse scored the goal of the game with another thunderbolt of a shot that exploded in to the net behind the diving Dodds to make the final scoreline 4-2 in favour of Leith. But the nonsense continued after the finish, with one of the coaches of Parkhouse telling his players not to shake hands with the Leith team. It was a tragic end to what was a terrific game, spoiled I am sorry to say by indisciplined adults.

It was frightening that this form of behaviour took place, unchallenged in a public park in Edinburgh and, even worse, at an under-16 youth football game.

We will never know what the final score could have been, if the good Parkhouse team had kept their concentration. If they are looking for someone to blame, they will not have to look very far! Leith Athletic now go on to play Laurieston Boys Club in the semi-final, while Edinburgh City, will play Clark Drive Boys Club in the other semi. City beat Dundee United SC in their quarter-final.

Leith Athletic: Stuart Dodds, Ben McKinnon, Alan Murray, Lewis O'Connor, Kayne Paterson, Conor Scott, Kris McLoughlin, Liam Tomassi, Tyrone Marcus Jimenez, Liam Smith, Christopher Barron, Greg Turnbull, Michael Park, Gavin Pettigrew, Steven Brown.

Parkhouse: Scott Carden, Andrew Graham, Nicky McLean, Ross McEntee, Gary McGinty, Jonathan Woodcock, Bryan Kerr, Greg McBride, Scott Gallacher, Conor Gallacher, Sean McGee, Paul Rae, Callum Tonner, Aiden Gallen, Stephen Peacock, Craig Chisholm.

Referee: Eddie Kirton-Vaughan (Bo'ness)

Assistants: John Caldwell and Steve Harris.

THE first of approximately 50 finals organised by the South East Region Youth FA takes place this Friday when Edinburgh South and Craigroyston battle it out for the under-13 Persevere Cup at Saughton Enclosure (kick-off 7.00pm).