■Conor Berry scores Strollers first goal of the new season and is on his way to a first day hat-trick

Civil Service Strollers got the new season off to a flying start with a comprehensive win over Currie Star at Muirhouse. On a weekend when Edinburgh Council cancelled all matches in the west of Edinburgh before noon on Friday, there wasn't a puddle in sight as Conor Berry took full advantage of the perfect playing conditions to score a great hat-trick.

Sean Rafferty was the man pulling all the strings in midfield for last season's relegated club and they will surely be one of the favourites for promotion on the strength of this performance.

For Currie Star's new coach, Mark Gray, it was always going to be a difficult start, particularly with a number of players missing. But he can be heartened by his side's second half play when they competed well and might have sneaked a goal or two.

Referee, Alan Downie, opened the season with a shrill of his whistle in glorious sunshine at the excellent Civil Service facility near Muirhouse. And within 4 minutes the home side had opened their 2008/09 account with a very well taken goal by Conor Berry.

Sean Rafferty played a fantastic through ball into the path of Berry and as he strode forward into the right hand side of the box he shot low and hard past the goalkeeper and into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Berry had another chance moments later when he was played in again by Rafferty but this time he lifted his shot over the bar. Strollers were swarming all over a nervous looking Currie Star and they deservedly went 2-0 ahead on 13 minutes.

Bradley Raynham stole the ball deep in the Currie half on the left hand side and he played a terrific ball back across goal where it was side-footed home expertly by the grateful Andrew McKenzie.

5 minutes later and it was three. Conor Berry chased down a loose ball and he won through two tackles in the box before finding himself with the open goal at his mercy. He was quickest to his feet and was able to prod the ball over the line before the Currie rearguard could recover.

The season was only 18 minutes old and Strollers were 3 ahead. Currie Star had barely been able to get out of their own half and it looked bleak for the Kingsknowe based side. They had to somehow drag themselves back into his match. But it was the home side that continued to press with balls being played through the middle or over the top and the Currie defence finding it difficult to cope.

Sean Munro was next to find himself with space in the box but he shot just wide of the top right hand corner. A moment later and Strollers had the ball in the net again but this time ref Alan Downie disallowed it for a foul on the Star goalkeeper that forced him off the pitch to be replaced by Stewart Easton.

With 10 minutes of the first half remaining Currie Star forced their first chance of the game when the increasingly lively Gopi Singh broke free on the right hand side but he shot wide of the left hand post.

The momentum continued to be with Civil Service Strollers however and just before half time Sean Munro saw his goalbound effort saved well by Stewart Easton as he palmed the ball away with one hand.

Half Time 3-0

It was a difficult first half for the visitors. Sean Rafferty was bossing the midfield and Blair Hunter, Conor Berry, Andrew McKenzie and Sean Munro were excellent up front in their various appearances on the pitch. Coach Mark Gray had a job on his hands to improve things in the second half but his side responded well to the half time teamtalk and created the first real chance on 48 minutes when Andrew Bain's shot from just outside the box flew over the bar.

Gary Imrie, Gopi Singh, William Dalgliesh, Arron Aitken and Damian Martin were trying hard to get their team back into the game with Martin in particular seeing some success down the left wing.

Currie were certainly more in the game now but it was CSS that always looked the more threatening in attack and on 54 minutes they stretched their lead to four goals when Euan Robertson swept the ball home lurking at the back post.

Star did have the ball in the net on the hour mark but Damian Martin was adjudged offside as he finished well from around 10 yards.

Conor Berry was now back on the pitch and he was hungry for his hat-trick. He should have secured it on 66 minutes but could only screw his shot past the post under pressure from a recovering Currie defender. A moment later and Euan Robertson had a chance for his second with the best move of the game. David Neilson started things on the right hand side when he played the ball infield for Conor Berry who in turn fed it out to the left for Robertson. But his shot sailed over the bar from the left edge of the 6 yard box.

Currie Star sent on Gary Imrie with 10 minutes left and the young Currie forward could have scored twice in a minute in an amazing sequence of chances at either end of the pitch.

Imrie was sent clear in on goal but his shot was brilliantly saved by Strollers goalkeeper, David Taylor. The loose ball was played quickly to the other end of the pitch where it was the turn of Stewart Easton in the Currie Star goal to bring out a magnificent save from a shot by Conor Berry. And then seconds later Gary Imrie was again bearing down on goal only to see Taylor once again save his goalbound shot.

As the seconds ticked down, Gopi Singh had a couple of chances to score a consolation goal for Currie but David Taylor again saved well both times.

In the final minute Conor Berry finally got his hat-trick when he rounded Stewart Easton and slotted the ball home from an acute angle to make it 5-0.