Lower-league club undo all their previous good work

North Merchiston Vale crashed out of the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur FA Logan Cup after gifting visitors Pathhead a hat-trick of goals as they lost 4-2 at Harrison Park.

Three defensive lapses of varying nature allowed the Midlothian side a trio of easy chances to score, and they lapped up Vale's first-half generosity to lead 3-2 at half-time before sealing the win with a single second-half strike.

Lower-league North Merchiston acquitted themselves well throughout but couldn't capitalise on their superiority in midfield. Despite going ahead twice early on, Vale contrived to concede a close-range indirect free kick via a passback, a penalty after a handball, and an unmissable goalscoring opportunity as their defence remained static at a cross - with all three chances converted by an opportunistic Pathhead attack.

It was a defensive error at the other end, however, that contributed largely to the game's opening goal after eight minutes. Vale's Jamie Knox floated in a corner from the right that swung dangerously towards goal, and an ill-positioned Craig Murdoch in the Pathhead goal was forced to dive back from his stance on the six-yard line but succeeded only in pushing the ball into the net.

Ten minutes later, another goalkeeping calamity, this time coming as Merchi's Christopher Donaldson picked up a pass nudged back by an under- pressure defender, afforded Pathhead the simplest of equalisers. From the indirect dead-ball, Darren Mitchell laid back for Douglas Morrison, whose drilled effort deep into the box was bundled in unceremoniously by Brian McNee.

On 25 minutes, Vale restored their lead in rather more conformist fashion. The highly-charged Merchi midfielder John Argyle seized upon a loose cross-field pass 40 yards from goal and rounded the first obstacle in his path before holding off a second defender and shooting emphatically past Murdoch from the edge of the box.

Argyle's admirable work was undone five minutes later, though, after a goalbound Pathhead strike was halted by the hand of a Vale defender. A confident Mitchell stroked the resultant spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner.

The goalscorer had clearly developed a taste for penalties, and a minute later was booked in an attempt to win a second one by diving over an innocent challenge by Vale's Colin McDougall.

The visitors needed no assistance from the referee to gain their third goal shortly before half-time - all the help came from a Merchi defence that was rooted to the spot as a tantalising cross was swept into the box by David Hogg. Darren Gough, the only mobile player within the entire penalty area, met the high ball with perfect timing and planted his header wide of the stationary Donaldson in the Merchi goal. Vale continued to play the better football in the second half, with centre back Andy Emwood and midfielder Jamie Knox forming a strong, creative spine in the middle of the pitch. They failed to carve out any openings in the final third, however, and Argyle's snapshot from 20 yards that bounced off the crossbar on its way over was the only real chance they could muster. On 74 minutes, Pathhead demonstrated the value of a potent strikeforce when, with their first forward foray of the second period, Darren Gough met McNee's right-wing cross at the far post and thundered the ball into the net.

North Merchiston Vale: Christopher Donaldson, Christopher Johnson, Martin Byrne, Jamie Knox, Andy Emwood, Colin McDougall, John Argyle, Stuart Gibbons, Martin Duffy, Stephen Black, Leigh Newby, Steven Allison, Graham Miller, Andy Peel, Jordan Banks, Scott Baxter.

Pathhead AFC: Craig Murdoch, Brian McNee, David Hogg, Angus Kerr, Roderick McDougall, Rew Ferguson, Colin Grandison, Gordon Kolossy, Darren Mitchell, Douglas Morrison, Darren Gough, James Brown, Steven Gough, John Robertson.