Eight of the best as young stars go goal crazy in final

The East Lothian side, who were defeated only once on their way to securing the Under 13 Division Three league title, swept aside their opponents with some clinical finishing to secure their second piece of silverware for this season.

Coach Stevie Wood was thrilled with the application shown by his players over the course of the match and is pleased with the success this season has delivered. He said: “I thought we thoroughly deserved to win. The previous games between the two sides have always been very close but I thought we were too powerful. It’s been a really good season, winning the league and now winning a cup final.”

Newcraighall who came closest to opening the scoring, however. Liam Hunter’s audacious attempt from a free-kick 30 yards out went a fraction wide of Calum Livingston’s far post.

However, Musselburgh gradually asserted pressure on their opponents’ goal and struck their first after nine minutes. James Kerr’s accurate cross picked out the run of Connor Ramsay and he nipped it past Aaron Jardine to score.

The ball was in net again shortly after, but Brandon Cullen, who rounded Jardine, had strayed into an offside position after receiving Kerr’s pass.

Five minutes later, Musselburgh added another through Ramsay again. The architect was once again Kerr, who split the Newcraighall defence with a carefully weighted pass, and Ramsay showed great composure to knock the ball into the back of the net.

However, Newcraighall gave themselves hope immediately from the restart when Christopher Sanchez outpaced the Musselburgh defence to fire a neat finish into the bottom right corner.

However, after finding a lifeline through Sanchez’s strike, they were suddenly 3-1 down after Keir Donaldson was upended in the penalty area and Charles Hamilton converted from the spot.

Hunter then tried his luck from distance with a free-kick just inside his own half, still managing to generate enough power to get his shot on target, as Livingston was forced to turn the ball round the post.

Livingston then fumbled a ball he should have gathered and Rohan Chapman-Liddell knocked the ball in from close range to reduce Musselburgh’s lead to 3-2.

Kerr then showed great trickery on the left before squaring to Donaldson who was waiting patiently to knock the ball in from close range and put Musselburgh 4-2 up at the break.

Newcraighall added a third minutes into the second-half. Sanchez battled hard for possession and despite being off balance, managed to squeeze the ball past Livingston after the goalkeeper had blocked the striker’s initial shot.

Newcraighall just couldn’t find an equaliser and conceded a fifth – and what a strike it was. Cullen collected the ball deep in Newcraighall territory and unleashed a swerving 25-yard strike which looped high into the net to make the score 5-3.

The outcome was sealed moments later when Ramsay added a sixth and completed his hat-trick.

Hamilton played a searching ball over the Newcraighall defence and Ramsay was quickest to react, lobbing over the advanced Jardine and into an empty net.

Cullen then raced through on goal and his effort ricocheted off the unfortunate Hunter and into the back of the net for Musselburgh’s seventh.

Newcraighall’s Ben Taylor added a consolation and his side’s fourth with a close-range strike before the scoring was completed by Hamilton, who was allowed too much space and finished coolly with a strike into the bottom corner to end a remarkable game.

Newcraighall Leith Vics: Aaron Jardine, Angus Hillhouse, William Hay, Connor McHarg, Liam Hunter, Ben Taylor, Kyle McFarlane, Rohan Chapman-Liddell, Christopher Sanchez, Cameron Summerville, David McNeish, Darryl Auld, Cameron White, Ryan Dalrymple, Rory Thorburn, David Young.

Musselburgh Youngstars: Calum Livingston, Lennon Wallace, Owain Ferguson, Connor Ramsay, Josh Harvey, James Kerr, Keir Donaldson, Keiron Wood, Brandon Cullen, Charles Hamilton, Ryan Fegan, Ben Riches, Ethan Clark, Liam Turner, Lewis Cranston, Cameron Crowe.