EDINBURGH City Colts withstood a resurgent Spartans to claim the under-15 Division Three League Cup at Gyle Recreation Ground.
Colts dominated the first period and engineered a two-goal half-time lead and, while their opponents hit back with a well-taken second-half strike, they confidently held on for glory.
Jordan Lock found the key to goal after just six minutes. A sli
p by Spartans midfielder Jack Mathieson invited Colts to charge forward, with Lock ghosting in from the left past his marker before side-footing the ball round Michael Cameron and into the right-hand corner of the net.
Christopher Graham – Colts' dynamic forward and the game's standout player alongside Spartans captain Joshua McCabe – performed a slick turn on the edge of the box on 13 minutes, taking him away from his marker, and put his right foot through the ball to send a powerful shot that flew narrowly past the top corner.
Graham again displayed his shooting skills five minutes later, shaping his right foot over the ball from a right-wing cross to volley at goal, but his effort cleared the crossbar.
Lock again secured possession in an advanced position on 33 minutes, taking the ball for a walk across the 18-yard line before choosing his moment to unleash a shot at goal. Goalkeeper Cameron, though, was equal to the effort, clutching the ball at the second attempt.
The balance of the first-half play tipped heavily in favour of Colts, so it was no surprise when they doubled their lead shortly before the interval.
Cameron inexplicably ran from his goal-line in an attempt to foil Graham, stationed on the left wing with the ball at his feet. While the Spartans defenders would be understandably miffed that their goalkeeper had not trusted them with the task of closing down the forward, Graham simply curled the ball round the advancing custodian and into the net.
After half-time, Colts continued to press, and diminutive striker David Hutchison somehow managed to rise highest to meet Matthew Gaunt's left-wing cross but headed wide.
Spartans registered their first shot at goal on 47 minutes, Rory McLean deftly flicking a header into the path of Paul Crolla, but Colts keeper Adam Moore proved a formidable obstacle and blocked Crolla's shot.
McLean himself outpaced Liam O'Donnell to create an opening a minute later but this time Moore saved with his legs.
The hour-mark signalled a turnaround in fortunes for Spartans as they clawed a goal back in superb style. Louis Hart struck a glorious shot from the right-hand corner of the 18-yard box into the bottom left-hand corner of the net, giving Moore no chance.
Colts remained comfortable, though, for the remainder of the match, and very nearly added to their advantage when Graham showed skill on the edge of the penalty area before squeezing the ball through Spartans' defence for Hutchison to run on to. The wee striker, however, could only find the sidenetting with his opportunity.
Edinburgh City Colts: Adam Moore, Sean Hay, Craig Lamb, Alan Reid, Steven Black, Ryan Lamb, Matthew Gaunt, Andrew Togneri, David Hutchison, Nicky O'Donnell, Chris Marshall, Jordan Lock, Christopher Graham, Ciaran McGuire, Darren Pennycuick, Liam O'Donnell.
Spartans: Michael Cameron, Sean Christie, Jack McLuckie, Michael Thomson, Adam Jack, Wilf Whitby, Chris Macrae, Kerr Flannigan, Robbie Paterson, Rory McLean, Joshua McCabe, Paul Crolla, Mark James, Louis Hart, Jack Mathieson, Jonathan Corbett.
The full article contains 581 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
