Windsor left in a Vale of tears after harsh lesson in semi-final

Division 1 side Vale were in inspirational form and four goals from striker Regan Hendry and a hat-trick by Ryan Fox helped the league leaders win through to the final.

Tam Smith, the Vale coach, was delighted his team reached the final after such a fine display, saying: “I thought we passed the ball extremely well and scored some really well-worked goals. I felt a bit for Musselburgh as they got better and better as the game went on but unfortunately we were just too powerful for them in the first 20 minutes.”

John Cullen, coach of Musselburgh, felt Vale were just too good on the day but was proud his team got to the semi-final of the competition. He said: “We really were up against a top side today and their passing and strength were just too much for us. I felt we played better as the game went on but it’s fair to say the better team won.”

Within eight minutes Vale were a goal ahead with Hendry finishing off a fast-passing move, burying the ball into the top corner from 20 yards out. Lewis Swaney picked up possession just inside his own half and spread the ball out to the right wing to Fox, who, after taking on the defence, played the ball back to Hendry who curled a left-foot shot past the helpless Lewis Quinn in goal.

Moments later, Vale were further ahead, scoring three goals in quick succession with Ethan Feachen, Fox and Hendry all getting on the score sheet.

Within a minute of the restart, Fox got his first of the game connecting with a Sean McKirdy cross.

Straight from kick-off, Hendry scored a solo goal when he collected a pass inside his own box and drove down the left wing before cutting inside and smashing the ball home from the edge of the area.

On the half-hour mark, Fox converted his second goal of the game when the No. 9 finished off a well-worked passing move after Aidan Quinn and McKirdy playing a quick one-two with each other before Fox fired into the bottom corner.

Moments before half-time, Vale’s midfield maestro McKirdy completed the first-half scoring after latching on to a Hendry pass to side-foot home from six yards out.

Hendry picked the ball up outside the Musselburgh box and fired in a shot that keeper Quinn palmed away as far as McKirdy, who slotted home past the grounded keeper.

Musselburgh started the second half on top and scored inside the first five minutes as Liam Glenn ran on to a defence-splitting pass by James Livingston to fire home from 18 yards out.

However, this strike was a short-lived respite on the Musselburgh goal and within minutes of the restart Hendry got his fourth goal of the game, sending a bullet of a shot into the left-hand bottom corner.

Sam Birch started off the move and played a diagonal ball over to Hendry who, from 25 yards out, smashed a left-foot shot into the bottom corner. Within five minutes, Vale got another goal as Cameron Fraser smashed the ball into the back of the net after a great pass by Cameron McAlpine.

Innes Goodall fired in shot that was tipped on to the bar by Quinn and rebounded out to McAlpine on the right wing who then drove to the bye-line and cut the ball back to Fraser on the edge of the area who, with an angled shot, fired into the bottom corner.

McAlpine himself then got on to the score sheet after drilling into the net after some great passing by Fox and McKirdy.

Musselburgh, who had struggled to get a foot on the ball, got their second goal of the game with Glenn latching on to a loose ball and lobbing keeper Byron Gibb from the angle of the box.

However, Vale continued their onslaught with goals from Goodall (2), Feachen and McKirdy (2) all finishing off well-worked, fast-passing moves in a ten-minute period.

Hutchison Vale: Byron Gibb, Cameron Milne, James Ahari, Sam Birch, Cameron Begbie, Brandon Archibald, Murray Sutherland, Aidan Quinn, Ryan Fox, Ethan Feachen, Regan Hendry, Cameron Sclater, Sean McKirdy, Innes Goodall, Cameron McAlpine, Lewis Swaney, Jack Cook, Cameron Fraser.

Musselburgh Windsor Colts: Lewis Quinn, Callum Hamilton, Dylan Hendry, Blair Millar, Findlay McNeill, Ryan Letson, Darran Drewer, Aaron Curry, Liam Glen, Cameron Wilson, James Livingston, Jamie Strachan, Sam Lawrie, Jack Landsburgh.