Kane hat-trick blasts Bonnyrigg into Maskrey semi-finals with ease

EASTER Region Youth FA under-16 Division 1 leaders Bonnyrigg Rose struck four goals in the final 25 minutes to dismiss Tynecastle Colts from the Steve Maskrey Cup at Saughton.

On-song striker Christopher Kane hit a hat-trick that was supplemented by Dean Crane's composed finish and a howitzer from Christopher Jamieson to complete the 5-0 rout and fire Rose into the semi-finals.

Colts began under the cosh but withstood concerted pressure in the opening 20 minutes to keep the score blank. Bonnyrigg finally carved open the home defence on 25 minutes, but, after Kane had rounded Tynecastle goalkeeper Danyal Walthew on the right of the penalty area next to the bye-line and found Ryan Somerville with an inviting cross, Somerville could not direct his header to meet the open goal as he strained to connect with the ball.

Two minutes later, Tynecastle found the target at the other end, but Christopher Nairn's strike after picking up a half-cleared corner was stopped on the goal-line by Rose winger Lee Brown.

When not saving goals Brown, a flying winger with pace aplenty, enjoyed a compelling head-to-head with Tynecastle defender Robbie Jack, the two fiercely contesting the right wing all afternoon. Bonnyrigg began to impose themselves more as an attacking threat and created more clear-cut opportunities after the half-hour mark, taking the lead shortly before the interval.

Dean Crane struck the post with a low 20-yard drive to worry Walthew on 31 minutes, then seconds later, Jamieson picked up the ball within a similar range of the Tynecastle goal and unleashed a glorious strike that arrowed into the top-right hand corner of the net. Not even the flying hand of Walthew could impart enough pressure to sufficiently change the direction of the ball, such was ferocity of the shot.

Jamieson single-handedly preserved the lead he had built eight minutes into the second half. Colts' Ross Gunning bore down on goal with just Rose goalkeeper Robbie Dickson to beat, but Jamieson ghosted across the penalty area and executed a superb all-consuming challenge, clearing the ball in one fell movement.

Faced with such resistance, Colts must have felt it wasn't to be their day, and Rose duly took advantage of their hosts' generosity in defence to double the lead on 55 minutes. The tireless Somerville swept a simple cross to the feet of his strike partner Kane, who made no mistake from close range. The 60 seconds after the goal and following a Tynecastle kick-off to restart proceedings was later identified by Colts coach John Coogan as a turning point in the game. "After they got their second goal we turned off," he said. "Because we made a mistake for the second goal, the boys have chucked it."

Rose's buoyancy carried them towards a whirlwind third goal. After robbing Tynecastle of possession directly from the centre circle, it was in the blink of an eye that the familiar figure of Kane again punished the home defence with a simple, close-range finish.

Walthew made outstanding saves thereafter from another rocket shot by Jamieson and a close-range effort by Dean Crane.

He was left helpless, though, after blocking another long-range Jamieson effort, the ball spilling from the goalkeeper's grasp to Kane, who completed his hat-trick with relative ease on 66 minutes.

Tynecastle's misery turned five-fold as, with the last act of the game, Bonnyrigg bundled in a fifth. Colts captain Joshua Rogers failed to clear from a long ball into the penalty area, and Dean Crane seized the opportunity to control and fire under Walthew from eight yards out.

Colts coach Coogan reckoned the result was the product of a recent spate of pressure games for his side, saying: "For the last few weeks, we've had quarter-finals and semi-finals while other teams in the same competitions have yet to play their second-round matches, so there have been a lot of big games for us. We have a few boys who have come in who will add competition within the squad, and we just have to pick up and get on with it."

Bonnyrigg Rose will play Salvesen 94, Hillfield Swifts, Hutchison Vale or Tynecastle in the semi-final of the competition, with two of Seton, Dalkeith, and Spartans contesting the other last-four tie.

Tynecastle: Danyal Walthew, Elliot Grieve, Alistair Elliot, Jordan Gunning, Daniel Mason, Kevin Airlie, Joshua Rogers, Ryan Ross, Joseph Greig, Robbie Jack, Christopher Nairn, Ross Gunning, Bradley Black.

Bonnyrigg Rose: Robbie Dickson, Mark Lawrie, Callum Gilzean, Bradley Crane, Christopher Jamieson, Jamie Knox, Lee Brown, Craig Bonar, Ryan Somerville, Christopher Kane, Darryl McClaren, Dean Crane, Christopher McCartney.