Athletic edge Easthouses to lead First Division pack

Leith now find themselves well ahead at the top of the league table, their nearest challengers being Gala Fairydean who are 13 points behind, then Gretna 2008, Easthouses and Berwick Rangers Reserves who are all 14 points adrift.

While many other games in the vicinity of Newbattle were postponed, the Easthouses pitch was in very good condition when the home side kicked off. However it was the visitors who first threatened when a long-range shot from Chris Barrie skimmed past the post. Leith enjoyed the territorial advantage in the early stages when Darren Lavery was thwarted by Craig Weir in the Lily goal then Bobby Gay hit a 20-yard shot high over the crossbar.

Both sides tried their best to play football on the heavy ground and in end-to-end action Euan Smith cut inside and hit an 18-yard left-foot shot narrowly over the Leith bar before the impressive Ross Gaylor hit a 30-yard shot which had Iain Gordon scrambling along his goal line.

Johnny Baigrie took off on a mazy run but once he found space to shoot his effort bounced woefully wide of the target. At the other end, a Jason Stevens shot was blocked by his own player, Dougie Thom, before it spun over Weir's bar. Then the keeper was brave when he dived at the feet of Jack Combe.

The deadlock was broken on the half-hour mark when Stevens laid the ball into the path of Combe some 14 yards out and the Leith striker connected perfectly to direct a low, unstoppable shot behind Weir.

Easthouses were by no means out of the contest but their final pass in and around the Leith penalty box did not have the desired quality, although Ryan Curran and Baigrie set up Kyle Boggie whose snap left-foot shot was turned aside by Gordon for a fruitless corner. The first half ended with Stevens being denied by a good fingertip save from Weir.

The Lily goalkeeper was called into action early in the second period when he made a fine one-handed save from a Lavery shot. The visitors had the upper hand for a spell with Gay and substitute William Bremner causing the home side numerous problems at the back. Another Leith substitute, Euan Campbell, almost scored with his first touch of the ball then the same player fired a shot high over the bar.

Leith did double their advantage in the 73rd minute when David Jeffreys, the Lily defender, failed to clear his lines and was caught in possession. In his anxiety to try to get the ball out of his own penalty box he only succeeded in hitting it against Leith striker Darren Smith and the ball rolled behind the exposed Weir.

It was a cruel blow for Lily although they did rally and both Euan Smith and Paul Walkingshaw had two good attempts before they did pull a goal back. A cross into the penalty box found Gaylor who dispatched the ball from 16 yards into the top corner at pace giving Gordon absolutely no chance in the visitors' goal. However, the goal proved to be too little too late and Leith emerged as narrow victors on the day to strengthen their ambitions of Premier Division football next season.

Gordon, the Leith goalkeeper, who coaxed and encouraged his team-mates all afternoon, said: "It was a very good win for us because we really needed to sustain our position at the top and the three points takes us further ahead of all the other teams. Hopefully we can keep it going and get the promotion we so dearly want.

"We started the season with a new management team and a lot of new players and since the summer our sole ambition has been promotion."

Willie McFarlane, the Leith manager, said: "It was a major result for us because if we had not won, we would have been pulled back into the pack. It was a great team effort and a superb battling performance on a heavy park.

"It was another major stride towards promotion. What we have to do now is keep our foot on the gas and keep concentrating. We'd like to be champions but our main aim is promotion and then getting to play teams like Spartans, Whitehill Welfare and Edinburgh University every week."

Dave McQueenie, the Lily boss, said: "There was not much between the teams and two individual mistakes cost us. Leith are a good side and can only throw the title away."

Easthouses Lily: Weir, Arthur, Shields, McQueenie (Stupart, 53), Jeffreys, Walkingshaw, Smith, Baigrie (Love, 68), Boggie, Gaylor, R Curran. Subs: Currie, D Curran, Young.

Leith Athletic: Gordon, Tainsh, Barrie, Lynch, Thom, Black, Stevens, Gay (Campbell, 65), Combe, Lavery (Smith, 65), Coleman (Bremner, 60). Subs: MacAuley, Burstow.

Referee: M Gill.

Easthouses Lily 1

Leith Athletic 2