Vale fire in four to reach semi-finals of O'Neill Cup Hutchison VALE Under-13s are through to the semi-finals of the Peter O'Neill Cup after a convincing 4-1 victory over Spartans FC Youth at Saughton. Hutchie have hit the heights this season with their attacking flair, while opponents Spartans have also produced some sterling performances in both league and cup fixtures. Hutchie Vale coach Norrie Lewis, however, wasn't entirely satisfied with his side's performance despite the handsome scoreline. We had quite a few injuries and it was a tired performance. Credit to Spartans as they made it a difficult match, but had we taken a fraction of our chances then the score would have been greater. We need to roll our sleeves up as we look for performances more than anything. Gregor Lamb kicked things off with a great strike from inside the box after some intricate play on the wing from Ben Swan before Spartans equalised through Andrew Dempster's rasping drive, which went in via the underside of the bar. However, Hutchie regained the advantage before half-time when Calum Hall's cross was deflected in at the near post by the unfortunate David Whalen. Lamb then notched his second of the match after being chopped down in the box and he stepped up to fire a shot high into the top corner from 12 yards. Leon Ronaldson then made it 4-1 when he controlled a pass before turning and unleashing a shot into the bottom corner of the net. Spartans" Liam Cowper was pleased with the effort from his players and questioned the decision to award the home side a penalty kick. He said: "I thought we took the game to Hutchie and missed a few opportunities ourselves. I think it changed the game when they were awarded the penalty because we were still in it at 2-1. Leith stretch their lead Leith Athletic Under-15s extended their lead to six points at the top of SERYFA Division 1 with a 4-0 triumph over Cavalry Park at Leith Links. With the majority of the chasing pack involved in cup duty, the black and whites took full advantage of the opportunity to stretch their lead with a comprehensive victory. Ross Aitchison opened the scoring in emphatic style, finding the top corner from 25 yards with a piercing strike. Calum Smart then made it 2-0 when his surging run down the left took him clear into the penalty box and he knocked the ball into the far corner. Smart then had his 30-yard net-bound volley blocked but Marco McBride was on hand to tap in from close range before Roan Turkington made it 4-0 when he flicked in after a scramble inside the box, a goal the youngster savoured after leaving Cavalry for Leith. Leith coach Colin Scott said: "We're delighted to be top Cavalry Park play some good football and they are very well organised." Edinburgh too strong Edinburgh United FC Under-14s were too strong for lower-league opposition North Merchiston as they progressed 3-0 in the second round of the Willie Bauld Memorial Trophy at Paties Road. United showed their superiority against Division 2 Merchiston who pitched in with a creditable performance. James Cornwall opened the scoring after just five minutes, finding the corner of the net with an accurate shot from the edge of the box. However, it wasn't until 15 minutes into the second half when United added to their tally. Kyle Wynne found space to advance through on goal and he duly delivered with a composed finish. United's victory was sealed in the final minute when Paul Philip's powerful drive was parried by the Merchiston keeper into the path of Wynne, and the teenager finished with aplomb. United coach Mark Philip said: "We played reasonably well, but North Merchiston competed with us. We are probably doing better than we expected but we did manage to strengthen over the summer and bring in better players.