■Lewis Ross (centre) puts Hutchison Vale 1-0 ahead at Hallhill

After a long season of "almost but not quite enough" Musselburgh Windsor finally got their hands on some richly deserved silverware when they lifted the South East Region Cup at Hallhill this morning.

But this was as tight an affair as it comes with the outcome eventually going to an agonising penalty shoot out when neither side could edge ahead in the extra 20 minutes given to them. Vale missed the target twice whilst Windsor converted all four of their penalties to give them the cup.

But Hutchison Vale will look back on a series of great first half chances that went a begging which could have had them out of sight. Windsor were however the stronger side in the second period and went closest in extra time and it really was a thin line between these two fine young sides in a great football game.

The hot sunshine of the previous day was a distant memory and rain was forecast for this game. The opening 10 minutes or so matched the overhead conditions with defences on top and not much goalmouth action to warm the crowd at Dunbar.

Then in 12 minutes the game sprang to life when Ben Hughes crashed a shot off the post from a corner to start a period of the game that was to be dominated by Hutchison Vale. Lewis Ross and Jason Coyle were making incisive runs in behind their Musselburgh counterparts and the latter should have done better when sent clear with a long ball over the top on 17 minutes.

The lively pairing then combined with some excellent play on the right wing that eventually saw Jason Coyle run onto a cross by Lewis Ross only to see it deflected behind for a corner.

Vale were certainly on top but Euan Greig and Kamran Tufail were more than a match at the back with Greig in particular having a fine game at right back for Windsor. But it was Jack Moffat that came to Musselburgh's rescue on 23 minutes when he made a fantastic goalline sliding clearance to clear another Jason Coyle shot that had beaten Daniel Laing.

Hutchison Vale were rampant during this period and should have been at least a goal ahead based on the amount of pressure they were creating. At the back they were confident and composed and their lively midfield was first to virtually every ball. Connor McGregor, Lewis Scott, Chris Galloway and Ben Hughes were very prominent as they continually fed a supply of balls to the front pair of Coyle and Ross.

Indeed it was fully 26 minutes before Musselburgh Windsor had their first decent effort on goal when Euan Greig, who seemed to be everywhere, hit a looping 20 yard shot that dipped just inches over the bar.

As half time approached you felt a Vale goal was inevitable and they had another great chance minutes before the break when Jason Coyle was again played through only to hit his shot high over the bar.

Half Time 0-0

The overall quality of play in the first half from both sides was very good. Playing from the back, both teams tried to build attacks from deep and it was Hutchison Vale that made most inroads with Windsor finding it increasingly hard to break out in any regular fashion. But defensively they were playing very well and had somehow kept the score blank.

That situation was only to last a further 8 minutes however before Hutchison Vale took a deserved lead. Lewis Ross's first shot was brilliantly saved by Daniel Laing and the Musselburgh keeper almost reacted to the second but he could only manage one hand to Ross's follow up and the ball spun high into the air and into the left hand corner of the net.

Inexplicably, Hutchison Vale then started to fall out of this game. Big Martin Innes had taken a slightly more advanced role to help out in midfield when time allowed it and Musselburgh began to claw their way into this game. On 50 minutes they got their reward.

A quick free kick was played out wide to Euan Greig and his cross was controlled by wee Neil Watson before hitting a shot past the helpless Jordan Hunter in the Hutchie goal.

Up the other end and Daniel Laing came to his team-mates rescue with a magnificent save. Jason Coyle dragged the ball back and hit a powerful drive that the Musselburgh number one did brilliantly to stop.

Musselburgh had started to take the game to Hutchison Vale however and the boys in black and gold were finding it hard to break out of their own half as time ticked down. With 8 minutes remaining Craig Turnbull thought he had won the cup for Musselburgh but a wonderful last ditch tackle by Chris Galloway stopped his goal bound effort. And then moments later Turnbull, Robert McFarlane and Jordan Burrows combined wonderfully well on the right before McFarlane's shot whizzed just inches past the left hand post.

Windsor continued to pile the pressure on as they went in search of the winner but Vale held out and 20 minutes additional play was indicated by referee Dennis Cunningham.

Musselburgh almost snatched the lead immediately as Jack Thomson hit the bar in the opening minute but chances in the extra period were at a premium as the legs started to tire in what was now heavy and persistent rain and the match ended 1-1.

The crowd had now swelled as supporters of the next final had arrived just in time to see the tense finale of penalty kicks decide the outcome of the cup. Musselburgh Windsor only needed four kicks however after Hutchison Vale missed the target twice and it was Jordan Burrows that was left to drill home the winning kick to begin wild celebrations from the Musselburgh Windsor players.