Game of the day in the weekend’s East of Scotland Football League was at Millfield in EOS Conference A and saw Leith go back to the top of the pile on goal difference with a stunning and well deserved victory over a Haddington side who they displaced as league leaders, although the East Lothian side have a game in hand, writes Derek Hall.
The visitors started positively and dominated the early exchanges without managing to test Dale Cornet in the Haddington goals too much although Kayne Paterson and Wayne Sproule were looking lively up front for Leith.
The East Lothian side gradually got back into the match and before the break both Anes Subasic and Alassan Jones brought out a couple of fine saves from Leith keeper Campbell McLellan.
However, the keeper saved the best till last as right on half time, he somehow tipped a thunderous 30 yard drive from Jones over the top at full stretch and it remained goalless at the break.
The second half was only two minutes old when the visitors made the breakthrough from a routine straight from the training ground as Michael Barfoot’s low driven corner saw Sproule lose his marker on the edge of the box and when he clipped the ball onto the six yard line, Shaun Turnbull was there to turn the ball home past the helpless Cornet.
Haddington were stunned but fought back and both Guy McGarry and Jones continued to probe the Leith back line without ever testing keeper McLellan to the same extent as in the first half, but in general it was Leith who were dictating the play in the second period.
That control was rewarded in the 72nd minute with a lovely strike as Paterson worked hard down the right flank and into the penalty area along the goal line before delivering an inch perfect cut back to Sproule who rifled the ball home from eight yards for the decisive second goal.
As the final whistle went, the Leith players and fans rightly celebrated an excellent victory and it looks like these two teams will contest the Conference A title right to the last day of the season, a last day which tantalisingly sees Haddington visit Leith for the return fixture.
