Local heroes: Salvie are dazzled by Diamonds

Salvesen were met with some fierce resistance in the form of an impressive Airdrie United side as they began their bid to carry on the fine form of Edinburgh clubs in the Scottish Youth FA under-14 Challenge Cup.

The West Edinburgh side was undone by some inspirational moments of skill by their North Lanarkshire counterparts, who came away from Clovenstone Park with a somewhat flattering 5-1 victory.

Salvie were unable to match a physical, skilful and streetwise Airdrie team, despite showing plenty of fight and clawing back a half-time deficit through a superb goal by Alex Bertram.

On a bright morning in Wester Hailes, it took a buzzing Airdrie just ten minutes to assert their superiority by way of the game's opening goal. James Broadley lofted the ball into the path of the attacking Michael Hawthorne, and he chipped the advancing goalkeeper Steven Hill as he ran deep into the penalty area.

Buoyed by the goal, the well-drilled Diamonds strung together passes with increasing fluidity, at one point retaining possession for a whole minute, much to the frustration of a determined Salvesen.

Acting on newly-bred confidence, Airdrie's midfield "spoiler" Dean Cairns, magnificent throughout the match, came close with a piledriver from the halfway line that flew just over Hill's crossbar.

At the other end, Hill's opposite number Jack Findlay pulled off a good stop, but Salvesen striker Lee Moore was disappointed not to have converted his side's first real chance.

On 23 minutes, Salvie No.?1 Steven Hill confounded Airdrie expectation by brilliantly diving to his right to stop Broadley's spot-kick and hold onto the ball.

Airdrie doubled their lead soon after, however, when Darrell Dick's strike rolled into the far corner of the net.

Salvie summoned the spirit to come back into the game shortly after half-time with a stunning goal courtesy of Ross Menzies' vicious, swinging cross and Bertram's subsequent header that rocketed into the roof of the net.

The hosts couldn't muster any further pressure on the Airdrie goal, though, and it was left to the visitors to wrap up victory with a hat-trick of strikes in the final 12 minutes.

Dick skirted the face of the penalty area with a cross-field run and unleashed a long-range strike that rose into the top left-hand corner past a despairing Hill. Three minutes later, United's playmaker Cairns stroked the ball through to the untended Alexander Bear, who, from the left-hand side of the penalty area, finished calmly. With seconds remaining and Salvie's hopes dissipated, Dick, beginning a run from the edge of the box, jinked his way through the home defence with mesmerising close control, a solo move that culminated with a cheeky touch past Hill and into the net from three yards out.

Salvesen BC: Steven Hill, Cameron Watt, Ross Menzies, Alex Bertram, Lewis Findlay, Craig Berry, Alex Hastie, Daniel Mitchell, Jordie Bell, Lewis Ross, Lee Moore, Ryan Campbell, Shaun Serrells, Jay Sturgeon, Calum Jackson.