IN the final for the Trophy and Glass Centre Cup between Edina Hibs and Lochend Boys Club, the pace, skill and enjoyment lasted throughout the game. In a game of not-stop action, a goal scored in the closing minutes of a superbly contested game of football clinched the cup for Edina to add to a previous one they won at the Enclosure and also the title in their division in the Lothian Buses leagues in the Eastern Region Youth FA.

This very good football playing outfit in the Edina colours got off to a wonderful start, scoring the opening goal from Lewis Muir who nipped in to take advantage of a mistimed clearance in the Lochend defence to beat opposing keeper, Isaac Forsyth, from close in. That came in the first minute of the game but Lochend buckled down to the task of keeping the sweet-moving Edina outfit from adding to their total and how well the Lochend side did their job.

Conor Inglis was magnificent in the middle of the park, inspiring his team-mates to new heights as they competed for every ball – fairly! It was a great game to watch and half-time came when 16-year-old match official, Scott Gilchrist, blew for halt-time. It was a measure of how good this game was that the first half simply flew past. The pace of the game continued in the second period with Edina putting the Lochend defence under great pressure with wave after wave of attacking moves. But Lochend were equal to the task, with every boy playing an important part in repelling the siege.

The dramatic equaliser came from the right boot of Conor Inglis; The Lochend powerhouse hammered a long-range free-kick at the Edina goal and it somehow managed to elude the despairing attempt by goalkeeper Jake Slight to go over the line for the equaliser. That set-back galvanised the Edina players even more and Lochend had to pull out all the stops to keep them at bay. The longer the game continued, the harder it became for Edina to get back in front. It was enthralling to watch as the Lochend kids sent them packing back up the field time after time.

But when the winning goal came a couple of minutes from the end, it was entirely deserved. Another Edina attack in numbers saw the ball played in the danger area in front of the Lochend goal from the left and with players from both sides flailing at the ball as it bobbled about in the box, it was Ryan Stevenson who applied the final touch to send it over the line to make it 2-1 for Edina.
 

But that was not the end of the excitement and the match official awarded Lochend a free-kick in front of goal in the last minute, but this time Inglis’ powerful shot was deflected before it could reach the Edina keeper and that proved to be the last kick of the ball of a tremendous game of under-13 competitive football. The conduct of the players in this game, as in the first final too, was quite exceptional. The sporting handshakes between the players and the applause from the crowd were a fitting end to a great night for youth club football.

Edina Hibs – Jake Slight, Gareth Evans, Claire McEwan, Chad Wells, Daniel Kay, Ross Stevenson, Lloyd Ellis, Kenneth Aitchison, Lewis Muir, Thomas Grant, Ryan Stevenson, Darren Carter, Andrew Ward, Jamie McGovern, Siobhan Hunter, Daryl Donald.

Lochend Youth FC – Isaac Forsyth, Alex Conway, Ross McCall, Warren Don, Iain Bennett, David Scott, Stewart Kinghorn, Stephen Boyd, Peter Cameron, Nathan Miller, Gavin Clark, Connor Macauley, Robert Notman, Liam Massie, Sam Ingram, Conor Inglis.

Referee – Scott Gilchrist.