THE under-12 game between Edinburgh South and Leith Athletic saw the visitors from the Port end up losing after taking an early lead at Inch Park.
Games at this level are basically for boys to enjoy themselves but there was a level of competitiveness among adults at this game and I found it really sad to see the referees being criticised.
Leith made the better start while the Edinburgh South
players were, strangely, listless. However, when Connor Agate opened the scoring for the visiting team it that spurred the home players into action, and the equaliser came soon afterwards from the powerful Connor McKinnon. The Leith defence were caught out with great passes through the middle of their defence and McKinnon made it 2-1 for Edinburgh South when he broke away on his own to blast the ball past helpless Leith goalie Jack Lacey.
This brave young keeper was in constant action as Edinburgh South hammered away at the Leith goal and when Lacey could only manage to block a fierce shot, the ball rebounded to McKinnon and the Edinburgh South hot-shot simply smashed the ball into the net to make it 3-1.
In typical schoolboy fashion, Leith raced back up the pitch and Leighton Paterson ran at the home keeper with the ball at his feet, took it round the Edinburgh South goalie before prodding the ball over the line to reduce the margin to 3-2.
Unfortunately, for Leith, that was the last time they managed to stick the ball in the back of the Edinburgh South net. William Noble was fortunate when a speculative shot smacked into the corner of the Leith goal to take them further ahead.
Then the home side changed goalkeepers at the break with Harry Cairns taking over, and what a great show this youngster put on. Edinburgh South went further in front on the restart with a super strike from the left delivered by Bradley Kay.
Leith tried to hit back and it took a great save by Cairns to stop a shot from DJ Clegg finding the back of the net.
There was no stopping Edinburgh South, however, and they scored again, this time from Matthew Nisbet.
The home side were firing on all cylinders and the Leith defenders were at full stretch at times trying to stop a flood of goals, with Lacey an absolute hero in goal for the visitors.
Ryan Martin put Edinburgh South farther ahead when he scored at the second attempt. Kay missed a snip of a chance to add to the tally of the home side and Lacey produced the save of the game when he threw himself to his left to deflect a net-bound shot from Kay round the post for a corner.
Kay was in magnificent form on the left for Edinburgh South and he was involved in a lovely passing move with Martin that led up to Jack Reilly scoring another for the home side. To cap a great display, McKinnon scored direct from a corner to round off a good day for.
