Two well-worked set pieces were the difference between Broxburn Athletic and Musselburgh Windsor at New Countess Park, as strikes from Ryan Robertson and Lewis Cole ensured Athletic’s grasp on the South East Region Cup.

The first chance of the game fell the way of Broxburn as Callum Heath fired a low cross across the face of the goal, Cole was on hand to time his run into the box and side foot an effort towards goal, which was deflected out for a corner.

Broxburn had another chance to open the scoring ten minutes in when Campbell Anthony spread a lovely pass out wide to Liam Magee who was unmarked in the wing, he spotted the run of Ryan Robertson and crossed it into him. However, Robertson managed to get his feet stuck and failed to get a proper shot away, giving Musselburgh the chance to clear.

In the 14^th minute Nathan Donnelly-Kay was next to come close for Athletic, by taking advantage of some slack defending he was able to close down the Windsor defence and get his shot away, although it wasn’t the most powerful of efforts and Jack Stewart was able to deny him at the near post.

Musselburgh created their first opening with 17 minutes on the clock via an incisive counter attack, as Jack Morgan raced down the wing and fired a ball into the feet of Murray McDougal, who turned and fired a low powerful shot at goal, but it lacked precision and James Davidson in the Broxburn goal was able to hold firmly onto the strike.

Windsor started to come into the came after 20 minutes, and Ross McLaren came close to taking the lead when Sean Brown crossed towards the near post. Mclaren angled his run in front of the defender and tried to divert his effort in from a tight angle by stretching a foot towards the ball, which trickled across the face of the goal and left Broxburn with a sigh of relief.

They had another attempt at goal in the 32^nd minute as a long throw-in was only cleared into the feet of Liam Gregory who was waiting on the edge of the box, his curling effort lacked precision though as it flew over the bar.

Depsite the continued pressure from their opponents, Broxburn took the lead in the 34^th minute by a smartly-worked free-kick. Nobody in Windsor blue spotted the run of Robertson, who was found with a deceptive pass from Heath. Robertson continued his run into the area, advanced on goal and slotted the ball to the right of Stewart, giving his side the lead in the final. It was a quick piece of thinking which proved to pick the lock in the Musselburgh defence.

If that opportunity was clever, their next shot on goal was audacious. Donnelly Kay’s lovely clipped-in delivery was only half-cleared to Jamie Brown on the edge of the box. Instead of simply controlling the ball or heading it back in, he caught the surprise of everybody at New Countess Park by producing an overhead kick which left Stewart scrambling, but his acrobatic effort only found the side netting. It could have been the perfect end to the half for Broxburn.

Broxburn started the second-half in the same manner as they finished the first, taking advantage of another set-piece opportunity to give themselves a two-goal cushion in the 52^nd minute.

Standing on the right-wing, Cole whipped a low free-kick into the penalty area where Liam Magee was first to react and swing a foot at the ball, directing his shot through a sea of bodies and into the bottom corner to extend his side’s lead.

Musselburgh must have thought they had halved the deficit only a minute after Broxburn’s second goal. A floated free-kick near the touchline was reached by Liam Mitchell who climbed highest to attempt a looping header, which agonisingly clipped the bar and bounced away; almost the perfect response from Windsor.

Broxburn could have wrapped up the game altogether in the 60^th minute if it wasn’t for Daniel McKinnon. Roberton’s inswinging corner caused mayhem after the goalkeeper failed to claim the delivery, and the ball look destined to cross the line until McKinnon was alert enough to make a goalline clearance and get the ball to safety.

With fifteen minutes remaining Musselburgh needed a goal desperately if they had any hopes of  clawing back the match. Some neat interchanging between Jack Morgan and Callum Downie saw the latter get to the byline and swing a ball into the path of Lewis Kynoch, after a scramble he managed to get his shot away, but the Broxburn goalkeeper had his front post covered and blocked the shot, helping his chances of a clean sheet.

It proved to be the final real opportunity for Musselburgh, as Broxburn were able to wind down the clock and secure the South East Region Cup.