Edinburgh University 1 - 0 Whitehill Welfare: Students raise the bar with stunning strike

The students have now won all three of their opening league fixtures and lead the league, an achievement that head coach Douglas Samuel admits is beyond his expectations.

"We have had a fantastic start," he said, "but like the Tour de France it is not always the guy who wins the yellow jersey on day one who eventually finishes first overall. However, we aim to hang on to that yellow jersey for as long as possible."

The students could be difficult to shift from their lofty position, with strikers Michael Hazeldine and Peder Beck-Friis still to return.

Whitehill were without goalkeeper Youssef Bejaoui who injured his back in midweek and the suspended Andrew Kidd.

The University started as the more offensive side against a strong breeze and a magnificent defensive header from Mark Cathcart found Michael Gray who raced through unchallenged and brought out an excellent save from Whitehill's stand-in goalkeeper Scott Haldane. Whitehill began to get a foothold on the game and in the 20th minute, when William Kidd sent a header inches wide.

There was a spate of three yellow cards in as many minutes on the half-hour mark when Whitehill's Danny Taylor, along with the Students' Struan Scott-Woodhouse and MacKinnon, were all cautioned for dissent.

The wind died in the second half and the students again took the game to Whitehill and Mark Gair shot wide before coach Samuel, in the 60th minute, introduced Colin Cameron and Calum Murray, a change which was to win the game for the University. Murray curled a left-foot shot narrowly past the post only five minutes after coming on and in the 73rd-minute, he sent his team-mates wild.

Craigen and James Brownie both had efforts blocked before the ball fell to Murray on the edge of the box. His first attempt rebounded to him and he unleashed a superb left-foot shot which rocketed towards the Whitehill goal. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and then back up into the roof of the net.

It was a wonderful strike, but Murray said afterwards: "I think my goal in midweek against Preston was a better one. I snatched at my shot the first time but when the ball came back to me I took more time and hit it well." The remainder of the game was played in midfield with neither side looking likely to score then, almost on the final whistle, Whitehill's Taylor was shown a second yellow and subsequent red card.

Seconds later, Whitehill attacked and Scott-Woodhouse was adjudged to have fouled Ross Allum in the area. He also earned his second yellow.However, Tait in the University goal, comfortably held Aitchison's weak spot-kick to ensure that the students were rewarded with all three points.

In the dying seconds Whitehill appealed for another penalty for handball but the referee waved aside their requests.

Murray, 18, added: "It is great to get off to such a good start."

Samuel, whose attacking policy paid off, said: "Calum has raw potential and he brings something different to the game and we have high hopes for him.

"It was a fantastic strike from him to win us the game although I am equally pleased with the fact that we had a clean sheet."

Paul Cavanagh, the Whitehill manager, said: "I felt that we deserved something out of the game because after the opening 15 minutes we probably had more possession but lacked that cutting edge in the final third."

Edinburgh University: Tait, Scott-Woodhouse, Gair, Main, Cathcart, MacKinnon, Brownie (Irvine, 80), Milne, Gray (Murray, 60), Craigen, Hunter (Cameron, 60). Subs: Antoni, Ward.

Whitehill Welfare: Haldane, Cornett, Hall, W. Kidd, Campbell, McGlashan, Caddow, Taylor, Aitchison, Lunn (Dickson, 84), Allum. Subs: McKean, Muir, Adamson, Cantley.