Tenacious Tynecastle draw first blood against rivals Musselburgh

Tynecastle's under-16 outfit overcame their first major obstacle of the new season by defeating rivals Musselburgh Windsor 3-1 at Saughton on the opening weekend of the Lothian Buses South East Region Youth FA's 2010/11 campaign.

Tynie have now opened up a gap of two points in the Division 1 table as the only club to secure maximum points from their opening games, while Windsor found solace after their first-day defeat with a 4-2 win over Spartans.

Glorious sunshine set the scene for a mouthwatering taster of the type of competitiveness and quality of football to be expected at this age group over the next ten months, as last-season's three-times trophy winners Tynie got the better of their East Lothian adversaries.

The hosts were in the ascendancy to the tune of two goals by half-time, and although Windsor began the second period in gallant mood, pulling a goal back in the process, home substitute Peter Reilly sealed his side's win 20 minutes from time. It was a new-look Tynecastle who took to the field boasting a number of rival clubs' star performers from last season in their line-up, but it was a winger well established in maroon who opened the scoring after ten minutes.

A handball by Windsor's Daniel Moffat 20 yards out presented Tynie with a clear sight of goal from the subsequent dead ball, and Liam Peden stepped up to show superb technique to send the ball soaring into the top left-hand corner past the despairing Daniel Laing. No team can come to Saughton and expect an easy ride, and Windsor administered a taste of the impressive physical nature of their game with some firm tackling early on.

When in possession, the visitors' most potent threat came through Ewan Ralton, who rode tackles and drifted towards goal with the instinct and speed of a homing missile. Ralton perhaps held as much doubt as those on the Tynecastle touchline about whether or not he was on side with a chance to equalise soon after the opening goal, as he lacked conviction and could force only a weak shot into the arms of opposing goalkeeper Neil Fairnie after receiving a cross from the left.

Moments earlier, Ralton's team-mate Daniel Moffat saw his header bounce off the top of the crossbar after Fairnie had tipped it away.

Tynie's Liam Connaghan could have, with a little extra length in his legs, applied sufficient purchase to Kevin Dyet's cutback to send a shot on target, but succeeded only in sending the ball over the bar from close range via his outstretched boot.

Connaghan made amends, though, with a sublime finish on 27 minutes to double his side's lead.

Windsor's backline was alarmingly exposed after their team had committed to an ultimately fruitless attack on the Tynie goal, and the maroons countered via Ross Dray on the left wing. Defender Kamran Tufail was forced to leave Connaghan, who he had been marking, in pursuit of Dray, allowing the latter the task of releasing Connaghan with a perfectly weighted ball into the middle, and the frontman advanced on goal before expertly sliding the ball past Laing. Ralton continued to rally at the other end, and five minutes later, after slaloming towards the edge of the penalty area, was unlucky to see his goalbound strike shave the post.

Windsor No.?1 Laing ensured his side remained in the running on 35 minutes, with a great point-blank save from Dyet's powerful strike.

Tynie were restricted to few chances thereafter, as the nature of the game underwent a sea change after the break. By contrast, Windor's defence became watertight, while Ralton and Co threatened to tear Tynie apart.

In the event, Windsor, for all their relative dominance in the 20 minutes following the interval, could only muster one goal in that space of time.

On 55 minutes, Ralton laid the ball off to Jordan Burrows, in space to the right of the six-yard box, and he slotted the ball with great precision between Fairnie and the near post.

The strike sparked a resurgent Tynie into life once more, though, and Reilly seized upon a forward ball on the inside right channel soon after, passing his shot under Laing and into the net to make it 3-1.

Tynecastle: Neil Fairnie, Ben Hughes, Jamie Tubby, Daniel Graves, Brad Hainey, Liam Peden, Jamie Pearce, Kevin Dyet, Peter Reilly, Liam Connaghan, David Gebbie, Jamie Henderson, Martin Innes, Coll Donaldson, Kieran Muirhead, Ross Dray.

Musselburgh Windsor: Daniel Laing, Jordan Forbes, Patrick Harrold, Kamran Tufail, Reece Docherty, Jack Moffat, Ryan McConville, Daniel Moffat, Jordan Burrows, Craig Turnbull, Ewan Ralton, Declan O'Kane, Gary Scott-Learmonth, Ben Stewart, Kevin Keane, Chris Anderson.

"It was a new-look Tynecastle who took to the field boasting a number of rival clubs' star performers"