Leith Athletic 6
Selkirk 1
EoS FIRST DIVISION
DEREK RIDDEL reports from Ainslie Park
A QUICKFIRE start by the home side put them ahead after only four minutes.
A Kenny Hall in-swinging corner from the right was met just eight yards out by Neil Lowson and his header was powered beyond John Dodds.
It was 2-0 in the 15th minute. Good build-up down the right between Chris Barrie and Jason Stevens resulted in the ball going to Jack Combe. His threaded pass to Chris Beaton ended with the top scorer calmly lifting the ball over on-rushing goalkeeper Dodds.
Selkirk had an opportunity to get back into the game when referee Paul Crosbie pointed to the spot in the 38th minute after a coming together between Lowson and Jamie Gibson. Jonathan Watt stepped up to take the penalty, but his spot kick went high and wide of Iain Gordon’s goal.
Leith made it 3-0 10 minutes after the resumption when a free kick from Stephen Barrie was missed by several players.
The ball broke to Combe and he took a touch before rifling it beyond the helpless Dodds.
In 65 minutes, Athletic extended their lead with a well-worked goal.
A ball from Lowson reached Combe and his first-time lay-off was played into the path of Stephen Barrie.
His cross was met by the on-rushing Lachlan Thom who prodded the ball into the corner.The Souters reduced the arrears in the 70th minute when a goal-kick from Iain Gordon was unchallenged by Leith.
The ball broke to Aaron Butters, who outran the Leith defence and his cross, which looked to be going wide of the post, was headed home by Athletic captain Gavin Tainsh for an own goal.
The goal of the game came in the 75th minute. Stephen Barrie picked up the ball in the centre circle and drifted by three Selkirk defenders before playing the ball beyond Dodds to make it 5-1.
With just two minutes remaining, the scoring was complete when a free kick was awarded just 25 yards from goal.
Craig Hume stepped up and his shot hit the back of Lewis Tracey, which wrong-footed Dodds and the ball flew into the left-hand corner of the net.
Selkirk: J. Dodds, K. Munro, D. Johnson, J. Inglis, R. McManus, L. Stephen, A. Noble, D. Battle, J. Gibson, M. Holness, J. Watt. Subs: A. Butters, R. Pepper, C. Gowans, J. Little, E. Pritchard.