MUSSELBURGH Windsor put on a grandstand finish to the under-13 Stuart Brien Cup final but had to settle for the runners-up prizes with Leith Athletic emerging as 2-1 winners.
It was a terrific game with good football from start to finish.
Leith are the only under-13 side to have beaten Windsor this season and they started in a very confident manner.
They attacked prominently in the early stages and it took determ
ined defending from Windsor. Central defender Martin Innes was impressive as Leith swarmed forward.
Leith's opening goal was a beauty and came from a tremendous swerving free-kick from the left of the Windsor 18-yard box by Gavin Kneeshaw after Peter Mair had been brought down.
That opening goal came in the 29th minute after several quite brilliant spells of football, mainly from the fired-up Leith players.
The standard of play was top-class and the action flowed from end to end on a very bumpy and poor surface.
Windsor had a good chance to get themselves back on to level terms, but Robert Macfarlane squandered a good chance when he screwed his shot wide.
While Windsor played their open attacking game, Leith kept their shape and they went on to score a second in the final minute of the first half from the penalty spot. They were fortunate as
Craig Turnbull was adjudged by a match official George Mathieson to have clicked the heels of Scott Wilson.
The Leith left-sided player was facing away from goal on the edge of the penalty box when he was brought down and there was no danger to the Windsor goal but it was a bad mistake on the part of the unlucky defender.
Brendan Edwards made no mistake from the spot, however, to put Leith 2-0 ahead at the break. It was much more even in the second period of the game, and Leith were under pressure, too.
Kneeshaw went close to adding another goal for Leith then Keiran Muirhead went close for Windsor with a very good left-foot effort that was well held by Leith keeper Reece Smail.
Muirhead showed up well in the Musselburgh attacks but Leith continued to look the tidier team with good passing. But Musselburgh worked hard and they enjoyed a good spell of pressure.
Windsor forced play back towards Smail and the Leith keeper had to come away off his line to mop up a dangerous run by Martin Innes. Then Smail was forced to clutch a mistimed clearance from Mair that was heading for the net.
Jordan Burrows went close, again, to opening Windsor's account but his shot from the right of the Leith goal went wide.
With time running out, the hard-working Musselburgh side did manage to make the breakthrough, with Ryan McConville sweeping the ball into the Leith net from close in to make it 2-1 and set up the grandstand finish.
Musselburgh were attacking when the final whistle blew and Leith went on to be presented with the Stuart Brien Cup by Mrs Jacqueline Brien.
In her speech she said: "It was a great game to watch and I am so proud to present the cup named after my late husband, to Leith Athletic.
"They played very well and I also congratulate Musselburgh Windsor for making it such a wonderful cup final."
This game was marked by the quality of play from both teams and it was also played in a tremendously exciting atmosphere, created by the good turnout on the touchlines.
Leith Athletic: Reece Smail, Jake Harper, Gavin Kneeshaw, Billy Foreman, Keiran Muirhead, Sean Murphy, Daniel Simpson, Liam Conaghan, Scott Wilson, Hne Wilson, Marc Kustra, Wayne Stevenson, Brendan Edwards, Peter Mair.
Musselburgh Windsor: Daniel Laing, Jordon Burrows, Lee Edwardson, Euan Greig, Corey Hook, Patrick Harrold, Martin Innes, Ryan McConville, Robert Macfarlane, Jack Moffat, Jack Thomson, Kamran Tufail, Craig Turnbull, Neil Watson.
Referee: George Mathieson.
The full article contains 661 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
