Vale of tears for Edina as Hutchie put league leaders to the sword in Stewart Brien cup final

The youngsters, clearly excited at playing on a surface which is graced every week by a string of SPL stars, provided an entertaining showpiece to the supporters gathered in the old main stand for the showpiece.

Edina Hibs hold the advantage over their Division One rivals with a sizeable lead at the top of the league, however, with Vale undefeated this season and with seven games in hand, it is conceivable that the Stewart Brien Cup winners may well overtake their Jewel-based counterparts by the end of the season.

Vale coach Shane McCreevy highlighted the second-half performance as the telling factor in a match which had an evenly-contested opening period.

He said: "I don't think we played that well in the first-half and it was fairly close despite us going in two up at the break. But in the second-half, I thought some of the passing and movement was just fantastic. It was just one-way traffic."

With neither side managing to stamp their authority in the opening period, goal-scoring opportunities were few and far between with a midfield tussle the prominent feature.

Gradually, Hutchison Vale striker Connor Bathgate began to assert his considerable talent on the game with some excellent close control and a desire to get forward. An excellent run and cross down the left-hand side from Jonni Turner was met by Bathgate, whose exquisite lob went just wide of Edina goalkeeper Christopher Burt's far post.

And it came as no surprise when the little striker produced a superb finish into the top left-hand corner after a nice inter-change with Ross McCann, to give Vale the lead.

Edina's quest for cup glory was made even more difficult when Vale increased their lead just before the break. McCann was given plenty of time and space on the left to deliver a cross, which Edina's defenders failed to cut out, and Matthew Quinn struck a shot which a dismayed Burt could only palm into the net.

The second-half provided little leeway for a hesitant Edina side with Vale driving forward at every opportunity.

Bathgate again came close with a fierce shot from the edge of the area but the outcome was sealed moments later when McCann added a third – a goal he richly deserved.

A great solo run aided by a break of the ball presented the attacker with the easiest of tasks to knock the ball beyond Burt and into the net.

Dejected by their opponent's killer touch, Edina's confidence had evidently drained which Vale capitalised on with great effect. Midfielder Aaron McBurnie added a fourth with a neat finish at the front post after both Bathgate and Turner had terrorised the Edina defence with some great link-up play.

The scoreline was made even more emphatic when an indecisive Edina back line were unable to clear the ball to safety, which benefited defender Ethan Nicolson, who had time to place his shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

Callum McCabe was presented with Edina's best chance of the match in the closing stages but the composure required had deserted the striker as he fired his shot over the bar from six yards out.

Edina Hibs: Christopher Burt, Colin Parrott, Brandon Torrance, Paul Kennedy, Darren Clegg, Tom Alexander, Alex Fotheringham, Ryan Smith, Cameron Jeffrey, Connor Dyet, Callum McCabe, Aaron Hogg, Aaron Waugh, Kai Wilson, William Noble, Connor Lawrie, Lewis MacKay, Gavin McBay.

Hutchison Vale: Jamie Shiel, Ethan Nicolson, Callum McArthur, Daniel Mason, Adam Corbett, Aaron McBurnie, Matthew Quinn, Ross McCann, Connor Bathgate, Aaron Scott, Jonni Turner, Jack Philp, Callum Brodie, Liam Thomson, Aidan Renton, Gregor Watson, Nicholas McConnell.