Eskmill edge out South in cracker

After coming from two goals down, Connor McKinnon delighted the Eskmill support by scoring the winning goal with just three minutes remaining.

Kyle Melrose scored two of the Edinburgh South goals as the Inch Park team looked to be on the way to cup victory in the early stages.

Ryan Kingwell put Edinburgh South ahead in the tenth minute with a superbly-taken shot from outside the penalty area into the bottom-left corner after a South corner was swung in from the right. The lead was doubled nine minutes later as Louis Norris passed the ball to Melrose in the middle of the area and he rolled the ball into the corner of the net.

Eskmill tried to respond quickly.

Grant Stewart combined with Michael Costello in a neat one-two move, but Stewart’s shot was tipped wide of the right-hand post by South goalkeeper Gavin McBay.

During a period of Eskmill pressure, they struggled to direct the ball on target until the 31st minute when Stephen Scott’s 18-yard shot nestled into the bottom right corner of the net.

Edinburgh South extended their lead in the 49th minute. Norris was tripped in the left side of the penalty area by Andrew Lunbong and Melrose stepped up to power his penalty into the right side of the goal.

McBay pulled off a double save two minutes later to keep the Eskmill attack at bay. Costello’s shot was parried by South’s No. 1, then Lawrence Naithsmith’s rebound effort was caught.

John Holgate should have scored after 56 minutes. He took the ball round Eskmill goalkeeper Jack McInnes, but Mark Cotter managed to clear the ball.

Kyle Scott pulled the score back to 3-2, heading the ball into the left of the goal from close range after Naithsmith’s cross to the far post.

The score was level after 64 minutes with a fantastic goal from Stephen Scott after he powered a free-kick into the right side of the net from 25 yards.

Edinburgh South could have grabbed the winner with four minutes remaining, but Holgate’s shot was off target after a chipped through-ball had opened up the Eskmill defence.

But it was Eskmill who grabbed the winner with their next attack. Stewart’s shot was parried by McBay but Connor McKinnon was in the right place to roll the ball into an empty net.

Edinburgh South: Gavin McBay, Ryan Kingwell, Euan Russell, Matthew Nisbet, Ross Currie, Kyle Melrose, Lewis Hogarth, Jack Reilly, Ross Moir, Reece Handren, Jamie McGlynn, Declan Fleming, John Holgate, Ewan Stewart, Louis Norris, Declan Dalgleish, Blair Innes

Eskmill FC: Jack McInnes, Fraser Cumming, David Wardhaugh, David Hunter, Stephen Scott, Stephen Baxter, Lawrence Naithsmith, Grant Stewart, Kyle Scott, Michael Costello, Euan Denholm, Nick Brown, Mark Cotter, Andrew Lunbong, Connor McKinnon, Cameron McEwan

n THIS Saturday, South East Region Youth FA under-13 sides Hutchison Vale and Musselburgh Windsor will contest the final of the Scottish Youth FA Challenge Cup.

It is a great achievement for the Capital clubs to reach this stage after hundreds of clubs competed to be crowned best in Scotland at this age level in Aidrie United’s Excelsior Stadium.

A large travelling support is expected to watch the youngsters kick off at 1.00pm.