Leith Athletic under-15s contributed massively to the football club’s 30th anniversary celebrations by capturing the South East Region Cup with a penalty shoot out victory over Eastside Rapids.
The success capped a notable double as earlier in the day the Leith under-13 side claimed their South East trophy also against Eastside Rapids!
For the under-15’s though there was also an element of revenge for losing a recent Scottish Cup Final to the same opponents.
In this latest encounter it took a special amount of resilience and determination for the Leith club to end their season on a high in a match played in Dunbar.
Just a month after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to the same opponents in the Scottish Youth FA Cup Final at Broadwood Stadium, Leith produced a spirited response to lift silverware in an absorbing contest.
Eastside Rapids took the lead during a closely fought first half, but Leith responded impressively after the interval. Phoenix Chan-Raiker equalised with an outstanding strike and was later named Man of the Match for his influential performance.
With the scores locked at 1-1 after 80 minutes, the final was decided via a penalty shoot-out. Leith held their nerve before Nathan Hill converted the decisive kick to secure a 5-4 victory.
The triumph marked a fitting farewell for coaches Bobbie Young and Michael Laidlaw, whose final match in charge brought the curtain down on a decade-long journey guiding and developing the squad from the start of grassroots football.
Leith Athletic under-15s: Ben Rowley, Jack Otway, Dominic Pospiech, Jude Allen, Murdo Reid, Conal Ritchie, Sean Laidlaw, Coben Rippingale, Nathan Hill, Ronnie Gallacher, Harrison Edwards. Substitutes: Freddie Sleight, Phoenix Chan-Raiker, Regan Barnet, Cullen McLeod, Kamran Ali, Alistair Reid.
