Contact name:

John McEwan.

This team have their own web-site at:

www.leithathleticfc.com

02/03/10

Gala 1 Leith 5

GALA manager Fraser Lothian slammed his team for allowing Leith to slot five goals past them in this frantic tussle on Tuesday evening.

Before the match, Lothian had singled out former Berwick Rangers striker Steve Radzinski as the danger man for all the good it did. Leith’s new signing thumped four goals past the feckless defence despite being double-teamed for the entire match.

Radzinski was quick, alert and deadly, but the Fairies have to shoulder some of the blame.

Lothian told us: “It’s happening too often this season. The amount of goals we are losing and the manner we are losing them is a joke.

“I’m going to have to do something about this now. It’s a difficult time of the season to be able to bring in new players to do something about the back four, though.

“I’m not just blaming them – we had so many chances to score at the other end and didn’t take them. You miss those and you’re going to get punished.

“I’m gutted, but there were spells in the game when we were on top, especially at the start of the second half when we were 2-1 down, but the penalty changed the game.”

Radzinski took all of 90 seconds to open the scoring, despite Lothian’s pre-match warnings. Euan Campbell sent him through the middle and he had no trouble beating gala keeper Scott Lumsden.

As Gala fought back, Jamie Gibson missed a couple of early chances, the best of which came from a stinging Jordan Lauder cross, but he was only able to skiff it with a hanging lace.

Then on the half-hour mark, Mark Duthie worked his way up to the byeline and cut back for Radzinski to slot home at the near post unopposed.

Again the home side fought their way back up the pitch and from a Paul Young long ball, Gibson picked the ball up on the left, turned inside and drilled the ball past the diving Ian Gordon to narrow the gap.

After the break, the Fairies had the better of matters and looked to be on top, until referee Gavin Thomson blew for a penalty when Young and Duthie got tangled up in the Gala box, after Duthie had intercepted a poor defensive pass. This had to be the softest spot kick decision in the league this year and it certainly changed the match around.

Radzinski stepped up to confidently stroke the ball home for his hat-trick, and added to his tally seven minutes later when he rounded Scott Lumsden to slip the ball into the net from the tightest of angles.

And with six minutes remaining, Lumsden misread the situation as Duthie closed in on goal. It only took the slightest of touches for the Leith man to slip past the keeper and push the ball into the empty net.

Before this match, Fairydean had the chance to leapfrog the East Lothian men in the league, but now seem doomed to a mid-table finish.

29/11/2009

OUR SENIORS TEAM WON OUR FIRST TROPHY IN THE EAST OF SCOTLAND LEAGUE BEATING EYEMOUTH 2-0 IN THE ALEX JACK CUP AT PRESTONPANS TODAY.

THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE TERRIBLE BUT CLASS TOLD IN THE END AND THE TROPHY IS IN LEITH TONIGHT AND WELL DESERVED.

A GREAT CLUB EFFORT BUT SPECIAL WORDS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE:

EUGENE TAYLOR FOR GIVING THE CLUB THE CHANCE TO PLAY IN THIS LEAGUE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND COLIN TOMASSI FOR ALL HIS CLASS IN EVERYTHING HE DOES.

TAM CURRIE AND HENRY CORNER FOR BEING THERE FROM THE BEGINNING AND THEY GOT THEIR REWARDS TODAY AND I AM SO HAPPYFOR THEM.

A SPECIAL MENTION FOR BIG BOBBY YOUNG WHO CREATED HISTORY TODAY AS HE HAS WON THIS YEAR THE SCOTTISH CUP AT 21 LEVEL ALONG WITH A EAST OF SCOTLAND TITLE TODAY.

THE TWO GOALS SCORERS TODAY CAME THROUGH THE RANKS, EUAN CAMPBELL OUR ALL TIME RECORD GOAL SCORER AT JUVENILE LEVEL AND MARTYN WALLACE A WELL DERSERVED MAN OF THE MATCH.

KEVIN FREEDMAN ALSO AS LONGEST SERVING PLAYER WHO HAS WON MANY TROPHIES AT JUVENILE LEVEL AND BEING HERE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIRST AT SENIORS LEVEL.

ALSO A FEW PLAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH THE CLUB AT AMATEUR LEVEL NO MORE SO THAN RORY STEWART WHO INFORMED US THAT WAS HIS FIRST TROPHY WIN IN 18 YEARS AND NOBODY WAS HAPPIER THAN HIM TODAY.

OF COURSE THE WHOLE SQUAD WERE THE WINNERS TODAY AND AS A CLUB WE ARE SO PROUD OF THEM ALL.

THIS WIN WILL GIVE THE PRESENT AND FUTURE JUVENILE PLAYERS SOMETHING TO AIM FOR TO WIN TROPHIES AND PLAY AT SENIORS LEVEL.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL DAY IN THE CLUB'S HISTORY.

SUNSHINE ON LEITH!!!!!!!!!!

GER