Vale finally beaten by Edina show of strength

EDINA HIBS inflicted a first defeat of the season on Hutchison Vale 96 and will now face the winner of this weekend's second semi-final to determine who will lift the under-14 City Financial Independent South East Region Cup.

Tynecastle and North Merchiston are scheduled to face off at Saughton this weekend for a place in the regional showpiece with the victor facing the daunting obstacle of Edina, unbeaten on the local scene this season and defeated just once overall, in the Scottish Cup.

The Vale side beaten 2-0 by Edina at Broughton High School at the weekend could perhaps be excused for taking their collective eye off the ball, for they have the welcome distraction of a Scottish Cup semi-final a week on Sunday to contemplate. A formidable Tynecastle team, who pipped Glasgow side Park Villa in the quarter-finals, await Vale at Ainslie Park, home of Spartans.

Hutchison Vale 96 have contested just seven league games in 2009/10, due in part to many of their weekends being consumed by cup runs, most notably in the Scottish.

Some keen observers of youth football argued that despite their unbeaten run, Vale had not yet faced any of the top teams on the Edinburgh and Lothians circuit, and that Edina presented the first true test of their mettle.

Vale, though, can list three convincing victories over top-six opposition this season, 7-1 over Spartans, 5-0 over Salvesen 96, and 5-2 against current table-toppers Musselburgh Windsor.

Therefore, they should not have held unreasonable fear of Edina in the sides' first meeting of the season. However, to the trained eye that has witnessed their relentlessly attacking, flowing football at first hand, Vale froze.

Edina, on the other hand, were well worth their victory and rarely looked troubled, even though they failed to replicate the sort of form they showed in October when they eased past their nearest rivals at the time, Tynecastle, winning 3-0 at Saughton.

If they didn't quite achieve the fluency of which they are capable, Edina certainly weren't short on urgency, opening the scoring after just two minutes. Jed Davie met a corner from the left with a left-foot volley from close range and powered the ball past Vale goalkeeper Rian McDermott.

The Black and Golds' responded with a promising attack of their own within ten minutes, but Nick Mortimer was unable to connect properly with a cross deep into the Edina box, stretching to toe the ball tamely into the arms of a relieved Daniel Kerr in the Edina goal.

At the other end, Edina's Marcus Campanile was similarly off balance when a corner came towards him, and his header flashed wide of the far post.

Half-time passed, Edina's advantage was rarely threatened, and the game had produced nothing like the needle and aggravation anticipated by the expectant crowd.

The best two chances of the second period both fell to the lively Edina captain, Dylan Clark. Driving from his central midfield berth, he assumed dangerous positions and was well supplied with inch-perfect lay-offs by his teammates.

On 49 minutes, striker Azad Okan released Clark as the skipper charged into the penalty area, but McDermott blocked the subsequent shot well with his legs.

The Vale goalkeeper had a decidedly wider angle to cover eight minutes later, as Clark once more bore down on goal after taking in his stride a pass from George Hairs. This time, the No.8 bombed into the box through the middle and emphatically thumped the ball into the left-hand corner of the net.

At 2-0, the game was all over and Edina coasted safely into the final of the South East Region Cup. It's not the last time the sides will contest a crunch match this campaign, however.

Their compelling series of meetings will take in at least another three fixtures before the season's end: two league games and a Bill Sheridan Cup quarter-final tie.

A Willie Bauld Cup semi-final match is also on the cards if Edina can overcome Bonnyrigg Rose Blues and then North Merchiston.

Hutchison Vale 96: Rian McDermott, Mark Stein, Chris Suttie, Dean French, Gavin Birrell, Thomas Meldrum, Lee McGregor, Cameron Atwell, Daniel Pacitti, Nick Mortimer, Kieran Thrall, Ryan Clarke, Fraser Sutherland, Fraser Eddington, Darren McCowatt, Jamie Dishington.

Edina Hibs: Daniel Kerr, Jonathan Court, Sam Nicol, Max Landles, William McPhee, John Pearson, Scott Taylor-Mackenzie, Dylan Clark, Jordan Combe, Azad Okan, Marcus Campanile, Callum Livingstone, Liam Henderson, Jed Davie, George Hairs.