TYNECASTLE V HUTCHISON VALE
JOHN CRAWFORD CUP FINAL U14

WHEN Eastern Region Youth FA secretary, Allan Archibald, planned his double-header of cup finals at Saughton Enclosure even he could not have imagined how good the two games would be or the large number of spectators that would turn up to see the young teams in action – with the last of the two finals finishing after 10.30pm!

Yes, indeed, they were almost ‘burning the midnight oil’ at the Enclosure such was the late hour when Longniddry Villa scored the winner in a penalty decider of their epic under-15 Lothian Buses Third Division League Cup finale against Pentland Panthers.

These two finals kicked off with a real cracker of an under-14 final to the John Crawford Cup with Tynecastle going on to lift the silverware on a narrow 3-2 scoreline in extra time against Hutchison Vale. The different styles of these two teams ended with the more powerful and free-running Tynecastle outfit getting the better of the more precise and neat-passing style of Hutchison Vale.

During this superb contest, the quality of play from Vale as well as the energy-sapping powerful running from the Tynecastle outfit contributed to a fascinating cup final. Vale were given what should have been a tremendous boost when a long-range free-kick from Aaron Scott somehow managed to elude the clutching hands of Tynecastle keeper, Kenneth Brown, and squirm over the line to make it 1-0 in the 9^th minute.

But the boys in maroon did not let that shock opener unsettle them and their quick and dangerous breaks brought out the best  in Fraser Napier in the Vale goal. One save from Liam Riordan was quite brilliant but there was nothing Napier could do to prevent Tynecastle squaring the game in the 21^st minute, a free-kick from the left being knocked in to the Vale net by big Rory Burton. The huge pitch at Saughton Enclosure was ‘made-to-measure’ for this big striker and he went on to have a major impact on this final when completing his hat-trick in extra time. Vale struggled to cope with the pace of their opponents after taking a shock lead, but Scott again tested out the Tynecastle goalie before another huge bouncing free-kick caused more problems for Brown.

But it was Vale that went 2-1 down before the half-time whistle from top-class and communicative match official, James McKinlay, this time another superb free-kick delivered from the right by Lewis Turner being drilled in to the back of the Vale net by Burton, again, to put Tynecastle back in front. Hutchison Vale put up the shutters in the second half,  however, and it was they who were celebrating when Tom Irving produced his own brand of goal-snatching skill to score a magical goal that squared the game in the 23^rd minute of the second period.

The action was non-stop at both ends with Napier distinguishing himself time after time in the Vale goal. But it was not all one-way by any means and Brown, too, was in cracking form in keeping Vale at bay as their passing moves put the Tynecastle defence under severe pressure. Napier was positively brilliant on two occasions when he came off his line to deny Burton with brave blocks in one-to-one situations with the big opposition striker.

Almost inevitably, this pulsating game went to extra time and, it was always on the cards that it would be Burton who scored again and he duly did that to clinch the silverware for his side. In a game that produced so much good football, the winning goal came from a massive clearance from Brown in the Tynecastle penalty box and the ball bounced high off the hard ground deep in the Vale defence, allowing Burton the chance to pounce and complete his hat-trick, firing home the winner past the luckless Vale goalkeeper. There was still time for Napier to produce another brilliant save to bring an end to a fascinating and enjoyable under-14 cup final. The sportsmanship shown by both camps at the end of the game was a credit to youth club football.

Hutchison Vale – Fraser Napier, Greig Patterson, Ross Nisbett, Patrick Lewis, Dale McKenzie, Aaron Scott, Ryan Somerville, Scott McDonald, Patrick Robertson, Liam Bathgate, Daniel Carnie, David Welsh, David Stewart, Tom Irving, Andy Husband, Kevin Brown.

Tynecastle – Kenneth Brown, Ryan Hall, Connor Armstrong, Calvin Smith, Keith Millar, Jordan Fyvie, Ryan D’Angelo, Ben McKenzie, Anton McKillop, Liam Riordan, Lewis Turner, Tom Sanderson, Kevin Taylor, Jack Cree, James Elliot, Rory Burton.

Referee – James McKinlay.

LONGNIDDRY VILLA V PENTLAND PANTHERS
LOTHIAN BUSES U15 3RD DIV LEAGUE CUP FINAL
 

Once that was over, Longniddry Villa and Pentland Panthers kicked-off what was to be a final  that proved ‘truth to be stranger than fiction’! These two teams may play in the third division of the Lothian Buses sponsored East Region Youth League, but they produced a final of quite stunning proportions. ERYFA official, Stuart Whitson, said: “That was a game that had a bit of everything!” How true, that was and it was the coach of the Longniddry side who, unwittingly, became the ‘villain’ of the piece as he unwittingly played his part in allowing this league cup final to build up to a late-late show at the Enclosure.

Villa looked to have built-up a cup-winning 3-0 lead midway through the second half – but then the Villa coach, quite rightly, started to introduce his subs to give them their due part in the final – and the Villa bandwagon grounded to a halt with a vengeance! The good Longniddry outfit opened the scoring in this game in 15^th minute with a goal from Andrew Innes, this young player who is part of the East & Midlothian Schools select squad this season looking to be one of the best players on the park. This final was marked by the quality of play and sportsmanship from both sides and the game surged back and forward non-stop, but it was still only 1-0 at the break, possibly a true reflection on the game at that stage.

But the ‘second act’ that followed had both camps in a fervour! Dale Gordon looked to have ‘read the script’ of this thriller of a game by playing his part when he headed home goal No 2 for Villa. The ‘play’ continued with the best goal of the night with Gordon making it 3-0 following a great pass from Lindsay Gordon. But if anyone on the touchlines thought it was ‘curtains’ for Panthers, they were proved wrong as the on-stage action unfolded. Steve Griffin reduced the deficit to 3-1 with a well-taken goal and the rhythm of the Villa side appeared to be affected by several substitutions and, encouraged by praise and encouragement from the Pentland Panthers ‘wings’, the Edinburgh side produced their own stirring finale to leave the audience gasping, with further goals from Allan Chalmers and a penalty immaculately converted by Andy Cosgrove, making it 3-3!

The Villa defence looked in danger of falling in to the ‘orchestra stalls’, but they held on – grimly – to force the game in to extra time or, more appropriately, the last act! The Villa coach restored his first-choice players to give stability to his struggling defence and there were no more heart-stopping moments for the Villa contingent as the game went on to its dramatic finale to a long night – a penalty decider.

With the spot-lights burning down on the final drama at Saughton Enclosure, it was Villa who restored some sanity to the proceedings with spot-king heroes Dale Gordon, Andrew Innes, Kerr Blackwood, Scott Grant and Lindsay Gordon taking centre stage to clinch the silverware on a 5-3 triumph in the penalty decider. Andy Cosgrove, Richard Fraser and Iain Mortimer were on the mark for the losers as the curtain came down on an epic cup final at 10.45pm! Somehow, the phrase ‘you could not make it up’ came readily to my mind as I thought up my excuses for my wife to explain the reason for my late, late return home!

Longnidddry Villa – Gordon White, Alistair Guinney, Kerr Blackwood, Scott Grant, James Innes, Dale Gordon, Chris Guinney, Sandy Nelson, Andrew Innes, Sean Thomson, Cameron Reynolds, Tom Ashmore, Ross Parker, Connor MacLeod, Lindsay Gordon, Jack Findlay.

Pentland Panthers – Lloyd Hall, Iain Mortimer, Colin Campbell, Richard Fraser, Stuart Shand, Ross Chinnery, Ross Irvine, Sam Campbell, Martin Smith, Joe McVey, Euan Moffat, Andy Cosgrove, Steve Griffin, Craig Dunlop, Allan Chalmers, Andy Bright.

Referee (master of ceremonies) – David Lewis.