THE end of the season came too soon for the very good Musselburgh Windsor under-15 squad that celebrated their third cup win in front of hundreds of their ecstatic fans at Olive Bank.

‘All good things come in threes’ and that certainly applies to this talented young football side. They ended a memorable end of their season in the Eastern Region Youth FA by beating Tynecastle FC 4-0 in the final of the Division One League Cup at the home of the local Junior side – and four-goal margin between the teams at the end of the game was fully deserved.

In front of one of the biggest turnouts at a youth final this season – there were even spectators watching the game from the roof of Campie Primary School that overlooks the football stadium in Musselburgh – the Windsor outfit did not open the scoring until the start of the second half. The first period was more of a ‘softening-up’ exercise for the blue-shirted Musselburgh side but when the ball-watching Tynecastle defence gave Lawrie Cannon time and space to open the scoring in the first minute after the restart, the trophy was virtually in the bag for the local side. Windsor fans vastly outnumbered those supporting the Tynecastle kids and the ‘home’ supporters were treated to three more goals as their heroes went on a bit of a goal spree to mark the end of a campaign that has brought them three trophies.

The successful spell started for Windsor when they won the Tulip Cup in Holland at Easter and that was followed by what must be the best achievement since starting out together at the Musselburgh youth fooball club as seven-year-old kids, when they beat Hutchison Vale to lift the prestigious City Financial Edinburgh Eastern Region Cup at Hallhill in Dunbar. The icing on the cake was their final triumph of the season when winning the League Cup in front of their fans at Olive Bank.

Windsor extended their lead in the 28^th minute of a terrific second- half performance from them when Darren Lavery fed a lovely little pass to the left in the 18yd box for the impressive Ricky Hall to blast home goal No 2. Hall it was who fired in another shot that Tynecastle keeper, Ewan Smart, could only palm to his left-hand side and Scott Dargo, in his first touch of the ball after coming on as a sub, smashed the loose ball in to the net from a couple of yards out to  take the margin to 3-0 in favour of Windsor.  
 

Windsor ended the game on an even higher note, when Chris Nelson showed great determination to win the ball almost on the byeline to the left of the Tynecastle goal and finish off in brilliant style with a great shot from a very acute angle in to the far corner of the net to make the final scoreline 4-0. The celebrating Musselburgh Windsor players and their fans could not have asked for a better end of the season that this scoreline. Windsor goalkeeper, Sean Gordon had little or nothing to do throughout the second half. Coach, James Carlyle, enthusing over his side’s diplay, said: “We have had a great season, but just watch as go next season. We will be even better!”

Musselburgh Windsor – Sean Gordon, Kyle McCartney, Jamie Burstow, Mike McKenna, James Carlyle, Peter Johnstone, Lawrie Cannon, Scott Dargo, Darren Lavery, Ricky Hall, Darren Landells, Liam Rafferty, Michael Lynch, Jed Hiroz, Steve Hillhouse, Chris Nelson.

Tynecastle FC – Ewan Smart, Morgan Black, Kieran McWatt, Calum McLean, Michael Slater, Daryn Veitch, Daryn Cain, Steve Gray, Bradley Scott, Liam McFarlane, Scott Sime, Connor Fridge, Andy Reid, Stewart Cotton.

Referee – James Sim.