Eskmill fashion a late win to clinch Emroidery Cup

It was in the dying minutes of extra time and with the game heading for penalties that Eskmill scored twice through Fraser Cummings and Grant Stewart to win the trophy in dramatic style in front of their exuberant support at Penicuik Juniors' ground.

Eskmill who started the game in a confident manner, creating several delightful passing moves without really troubling the Oxgangs defence. One of the first clear cut chances did fall to striker Stewart who, after some fine play by Lawrence Naismith and Steven Baxter, shifted the ball onto his right foot and powered a shot from distance just wide of the far post.

The second clear cut opportunity of the game fell to Eskmill again, with Cummings and David Wardhaugh playing some neat one-twos out of defence before swiftly moving the ball to Naismith, but the striker's shot was blocked by a diving defender.

Halfway through the first half and with Eskmill up field on another attack, Oxgangs stole the ball and scored on the break thanks to the pace of Mitchell Goodman. A clever pass on the diagonal by Fraser Reid caught out the Eskmill defence and Goodman stole in to beat the on-rushing goalkeeper and slot home to give his team the lead.

Stunned by the shock of letting in a goal, Eskmill let Oxgangs gain the upper hand for the first time in the game and this led to some constant pressure, even if only for the short period of fifteen minutes before the half-time whistle.

With Eskmill's defence looking extremely shaky the Oxgangs midfield took control. A delicate lob by Reid looked to be bouncing over Jack McInnes but for the Eskmill No.?1's last-gasp fingertip save.

Seconds later, McInnes was called upon again as Scott Henderson sent in a free-kick straight onto the head of Nicholas Dewar but the goalkeeper was equal to it and again tipped the ball round the post.

It was Eskmill who started off the second half in attacking style after an inspirational team talk during the break by coach Brian Stewart. Eskmill had two long range shots at goal in quick succession minutes after the break as brothers Stewart and Stephen Scott tried their luck from just outside the box, but both effects flew inches over the bar.

Scott was proving a handful down the right and it was he who had the next Eskmill chance as he cut in from his wing only to be tackled by Henderson as he went to shoot.

Time was running out for the Penicuik side to get back level in the game however luck was on their side and five minutes before full time they got their just rewards as Michael Costello latched onto a through ball by Kyle Scott and delicately chipped the goalkeeper to equalise and take the game to extra time.

In this tense and nervy game the time added on was played in a similar fashion to that of normal time with Eskmill controlling huge amounts of possession and creating chance after chance which, if it hadn't been for the Oxgangs goalkeeper, Royce Miller, would have ended the tie with a greater margin of victory.

First to test the Oxgangs No.?1 was David Hunter whose long range shot was easily handled by Miller. Hunter was set on trying his luck again and struck a free-kick round the wall only for Miller again to be in his way.

This pressure continued right up until the end of the first period of extra time with both Stewart and Naismith testing the agility of Miller only for the keeper to still come out on top.

However, right at the beginning of the second period of extra time Eskmill finally took the lead as defender Cummings headed into an empty net. Scott picked the ball up on the right and drove into the box powering a low drive across the six-yard line, which was missed by everyone except Cummings who had appeared from nowhere to tap into the goal.

Two minutes later and the game was all over when Eskmill got a third as Stewart latched onto a cross from Naismith, who tricked the defender by chipping the ball over him, to head into the far corner.

Eskmill coach Stewart was delighted with his team after the disappointment of last week's cup final defeat. He said: "Having lost last weekend it was important for the boys to get the ball down and play like I know they can.

"It was a delight to see some fantastic passing, even if it took us a while to break them down. A great performance and I couldn't be happier for the boys."

Eskmill: Jack McInnes, Fraser Cummings, Mathew Watson, David Wardhaugh, David Hunter, Stephen Scott, Stephen Baxter, Lawrence Naismith, Grant Stewart, Kyle Scott, Michael Costello, Euan Denholm, Andrew Lonbong, Cameron McEwan, Scott Charlston, Robbie Humphrie.

AC Oxgangs: Royce Miller, Ben Falconer, Jacob Curran, Fraser Reid, Matthew Henderson, Nicholas Dewar, Scott Henderson, Mitchell Goodman, Jamie Cameron, Chris Thomson, Elliot Laming, Hamish Lindsay, Max McCallum, Charlie Barrie, Kai Leckie, Andrew Lilley.