Leith hoping cup joy will be catalyst

Having been relegated from the Premier Division last season, Riddel is hoping the 1-0 victory against Craigroyston, which earned him his first trophy in East of Scotland League football, can help get the club moving in the right direction.

“Winning the cup was a bit of a relief for the players and myself because the club had shown great loyalty to us after the disappointment of being relegated last season,” said Riddel.

“However, hopefully we have now gone some way to repaying that loyalty and we are looking to totally repay the club by gaining promotion this season. Last weekend was good for everybody connected with Leith Athletic and to pick up winners medals was a great accolade.”

Leith’s success in cup games has meant that they have played only three Central Taxis First Division games, although they have won them all and sit in mid-table. Tomorrow they visit league leaders Coldstream, who are 20 points ahead of Leith, having played eight games more.

“We are now playing catch-up football and, in all honesty, we would rather have the points on the board,” said Riddel. “We defended very well in the cup final last Sunday and we are confident we can keep another clean sheet.”

Riddel is without the injured Steven Lynch, while captain Gavin Tainsh is also a doubt. Craig Hume, a recent signing from East Stirlingshire, is available to be included. Coldstream report no selection concerns.