Leith Athletic battle back for victory

Triumph: Leith Athletic 2000 team beat Edinburgh City.

Despite controlling most of the game and dominating possession, Leith were extremely frustrated in the opening 45 minutes. The hosts carved out a number of chances but just couldn’t finish them off.

To their credit Edinburgh City didn’t let that affect their game and it was they who took the lead after just eight minutes. Striker Zak Mason pounced on a loose pass back to round goalkeeper Adam McLean and finish well for 1-0.

It was eight minutes into the second period that sprung a goal as well but this time Leith finally converted a chance through Dylan Brown’s penalty. The substitute drove into the box and went down after being clipped, and duly stepped up for the penalty and finished calmly with his left foot.

That goal seemed to spur on Sean Smith’s side and it was only four minutes later that they took the lead for the first time in the match.

Lewis MacKinnon waltzed into the box freeing up Craig Ferrier – whose shot trickled past the City goalkeeper and hit the post – with Calum Bremner tapping in the rebound from a yard out.

Leith didn’t stop there either and just two minutes after making it 2-1 they extended their advantage. Brown, the scorer of the penalty, was played through to the right of the box and his driven cross was met first time by midfielder Bremner, who converted to make it 3-1.

Top-tier Leith continued to dominate lower division City but that lack of quality finishing from the first half returned to the side and the match ended with no further goals as the last 20 minutes played out.

Merchiston’s 12-goal haul

Runaway league leaders North Merchiston romped to an emphatic 12-1 triumph over threadbare Tranent Juniors in the under 19s Division 1.

Tranent were forced to play the entire game with only ten players due to some no shows and others being on holiday.

Despite the disadvantage and heavy defeat it was the visitors who broke the deadlock after 20 minutes.

The play was focused down the right flank and when the ball was delivered into the penalty box Aaron MacKenzie ran from the left to the front post to meet the ball and side foot it into the net.

Then came the North Merchiston onslaught. Jake McDonald’s rebounded strike was followed by a Fraser Eddington double and a Fraser Thomson goal.

A quadruple of goals from the impressive Mason Evans and a James Redpath goal were complemented by a hat-trick from Joe Turner-Law, his volley off the underside of the bar being the pick of the bunch.

North Merchiston’s Donald MacDonald said: “We’ve yet to play Hutchison Vale and Leith Athletic so we’re in a wee bit of a false position – but it’s great to be top of the league.”

High-five for Tynie star

Five goals from Cammy Jeffrey helped Tynecastle 17s on their way to a crushing 7-1 win over ten-man Longniddry Villa in Division 1 on Saturday.

The away team went in at the break with a two-goal advantage thanks to goals from on-fire Jeffrey and Jason Kerr. The latter was given a lay-off from his brother Greg and dispatched a strike into the bottom corner, leaving the opposing ‘keeper with no chance.

Jeffrey grabbed his brace shortly after the second half’s birth before Matthew Graham joined Jeffrey and J Kerr on the scoresheet to put the game far beyond Longniddry’s reach.

Longniddry did get a goal back to cut the scoreline to 4-1 through David Grant. A good move resulted in a cross being floated in from the right and Grant was there to head the ball into the top right corner.

The reply did nothing but motivate Tynecastle and Jeffrey notched another three goals in the match, completing a five-goal haul which included the perfect hat-trick of left foot shot, right foot shot and a header.

Jeffrey’s header, his third of the game, came about when Greg Kerr worked his way at the defence before bulleting the ball right across the goal for the expectant Jeffrey, who connected with the ball perfectly to head home.

The 7-1 win consolidates Tynecastle’s position at the top of the under 17s Division 1 league table, whilst Longniddry remain without a win.