Leith Star 0 - 6 Cabrera Athletic

Leith Star Ath vs Cabrera Ath

Promotion chasing Cabrera visited Leith Star in their penultimate league fixture of the season looking for another three points to maintain their lead over the chasing pack below in the Edinburgh Central Division.

Leith Star, in their first season in the Saturday set-up, have found the going tough so far and were looking to grab their first league victory of the season although found themselves hamstrung from the outset with several key players absent.

The Tinkerman for perhaps the first time this season named an unchanged side from the one that had drawn with Tynecastle the week previously.

With near rivals Napier and Silverknowes Star competing on the pitch adjacent the Cabrera players were made fully aware of the importance of focusing on the job in hand and ensuring they chalked up another win, and took a further step towards their ultimate goal of promotion to the Lothian leagues.

As the game kicked off and the Cabrera players quickly burst into attack they carved out several early opportunities that were spurned by rash finishing. They were not, however, to be denied very long and the opener came after only five minutes from a move that began in their own defence. Clever interplay saw the play switch from one side of the field to the other with the eventual through ball releasing Willie Manson whose well struck shot left the Leith keeper with no chance.

Leith Star Ath 0 – Cabrera Ath 1

Only moments later Cabrera were two ahead, this time a Steven McArthur ball found Jason Wood in the box who rattled home a stunning volley.

Leith Star Ath 0 – Cabrera Ath 2

Cabrera continued to push forward and clear-cut chances fell to David Henderson and Phil Lorimer but composure was lacking and both players were left rueing their luck as their efforts fizzed wide of the Leith woodwork.

The away side did however soon add a third to their tally and this time it was the ever-energetic McArthur notching up his fifth of the season. His surging run bypassed the Leith defence and his finish was as powerful as it was accurate as the Cabrera dynamo continued his recent good-form with another great goal.

Leith Star Ath 0 – Cabrera Ath 3

Henderson pitched in with a fourth just before half-time giving Cabrera a comfortable lead to take into the break. His pace on the left flank was a constant torment to his marker and he finally made the most of a one-on-one situation, dinking the ball past the oncoming keeper into the corner of the net.

Half Time: Leith Star Ath 0 – Cabrera Ath 4

The second half of this game, it turns out, would be another for the Cabrera faithful to forget. All focus was lost as personal glory seemed to take priority over the team cause for many of the players on the park.

The Tinkerman did his best to make change in a vain attempt to restore some shape to the ranks but to no avail as his team went through the motions in a very dull second half.

The monotony of the proceedings was to be illuminated briefly with further goals from Wood who notched his second and third of the day. His second was a poachers special, pouncing on a Gary Morrison free-kick that had flashed back off the woodwork and the third a thunderbolt freekick, the icing on the cake in a fine hat-trick.

Leith Star Ath 0 – Cabrera Ath 6

At the end of the day Cabrera will see this as job done in terms of racking up another three crucial points in their end of season run-in, however they are sure to be disappointed by the level of performance particularly in the second half of the game.

The final league game of the season is scheduled for this Saturday, 3.30pm kick off against Napier University. An important game for both sides this promises to be a very entertaining game of football and will hopefully provide a fitting crescendo to what could yet be a successful season for this new-look Cabrera side.

Full time: Leith Star Ath 0 – Cabrera Ath 6

Man of the Match – Steven McArthur – another productive shift in the middle of the park from the tireless midfielder.

Muppet of the Match – Willie ‘Mara’Manson – was fortunate to bag a goal on a day where otherwise he couldn’t hit a bulls erse with a banjo