Crossgates Primrose 3 Leith Athletic 0

CROSSGATES picked up their first trophy since they reformed 40 years ago with a three and easy win over Leith in the Alex Jack Cup final on Sunday.

Brian Ritchie and Finn Graham gave the Fifers a half-time lead and Calum Smith scored after the break to seal a famous victory for the club.

The showpiece match, played at New Central Park in Kelty, was supposed to take place in November but was called off due to bad weather.

And the long wait was all the sweeter for Primrose as the final whistle went and the celebrations began.

It was the first final of any kind for Crossgates since 1995 and manager Allan Campbell said: “You’re in football to win a cup so we have to enjoy it.

“We’ve got a game this Wednesday but I’m sure we can have a few beers and glasses of champagne tonight!

“This should give us a bit of momentum and a great boost for the last few games of the season.”

Crossgates were on top for the majority of the game, opening the scoring through Ritchie in the 11th minute.

Their dominance was further underlined once the ball broke to Graham who doubled their advantage with a cool finish in the 27th minute.

It was 2-0 at the break and any faint hopes of a Leith comeback were dashed five minutes into the second half with Smith applying a poacher’s finish after the goalie parried.

A couple of smart stops from Primrose number one Sean Robertson kept the sheet clean and that was enough for the side to get their hands on the trophy.

Campbell added: “It was definitely worth the wait, it felt a bit like déjà vu when we were preparing for it this week.

“We were really professional and quite ruthless with our finishing, so it was great.”

Goalscorer Smith said: “I think the result really means a lot for the club.

“It’s the first trophy we’ve won and I’m really glad to be part of it. To top it off with a goal was perfect.”

The game itself was a fine way to mark an occasion that will stick in the minds of those associated with the club for a long time.

The result also means they now enter a three-way play off with the winners of the Alba Cup and the Strathclyde Cup for a place in the Scottish Cup next season.

Smith said: “The next big thing is to really get into the Scottish and the win today gives us a great platform to go on to do that. It gives us a focus when sometimes things can get stale at this stage of a season but everyone will be giving 100 per cent to try and get in the starting line-ups for those games.”

The Alex Jack Cup win is the first silverware Crossgates have lifted above their heads since the West Fife Cup win of 1957-58, when local legend ‘Slim’ Jim Baxter, later of Rangers and Scotland fame, strutted his stuff at Humbug Park.

Originally founded in 1926, the club fell into the doldrums and went to the wall in 1960. Primrose reformed in 1982 and joined the Fife Junior League.

Although the club went into “abeyance” in the 2015-16 season, it bounced back the following season and has grown since then through good results on and off the pitch and a burgeoning youth system.