Despite any rustiness and with a number of absentees, it made little difference as Burgh put in a hard-working and efficient display to start the year as they ended 2025 with a 4-1 win.

Burgh welcomed two new faces to the squad with Logan Duff making his debut in central midfield, whilst Calum Robertson made an immediate impact after coming on as a sub in the second half.

The opening chance of the game came in the 6th minute when a ball was played into the six-yard box, but unfortunately it was at an awkward height and Andy McCallion’s attempt at a diving header couldn’t quite find the target.

Ryan Daly had the next chance on 20 minutes when he picked up possession inside his own half to charge forward to the edge of the area and cut in on his right to fire a shot that was pushed behind by keeper Cawley.

The opening goal, fittingly, fell to birthday boy Finn Bannerman after a spell of pinball between the two sides inside the Edinburgh area with Calum Geddes, Cammy Taylor and McCallion all having chances with a mad spell when the hosts couldn’t clear their lines and the ball fell to Bannerman to sweep home from about 5 yards out.

Bannerman nearly added a second moments later after a teasing first time cross from Daly to the near post and Bannerman’s glancing header flew just wide of the post.

There was a brief melee on the stroke of half time after Bannerman slid in to win the tackle cleanly, but Edinburgh’s Brown seemed to take exception to and was, perhaps, lucky not to see red for his actions but instead only received yellow alongside Daly who was sticking up for his team mate.

Burgh were dealt a blow early in the second half after debutant Duff limped off after an industrious first game.

On 54 minutes Daly forced Cawley into another good save after he drove into the area and let fly with a low shot. Just a minute later and McCallion latched onto Callum Roughead’s long throw but the Burgh leading scorer got under his shot and the ball went over.

The home side’s cause wasn’t helped by the petulance and frustration of Jack Stewart (no, not THAT Jack Stewart!) who picked up two yellow cards inside six minutes for needless tackles on Burgh defenders and was promptly shown red for a crass tackle on the byline which set off another heated exchange.

In between those two cards, however, there was plenty of goalmouth action starting with Scott Kyles diving low to his left to excellent push a powerful header by Moon from a corner around the post.

Then Burgh had a spell of chances with McCallion having an effort blocked and hacked clear, before Cammy Taylor’s shot from a Roughead throw also hit the body of a defender before the ball was returned into the home penalty area before McCallion, Kyle Tracey and Geddes all had shots desperately blocked in the same passage of play.

The chances were still heading at the home side’s goal and Geddes flicked header sent Cawley diving to his knees to unconventionally stop that second goal. From the resultant corner, Daly fired low towards the near post but into grateful hands of Cawley.

After Stewart’s dismissal, Burgh turned the screw to make the numerical advantage count and Owen McNally was lucky with a powerful drive pushed over the bar by Cawley.

But following this corner, McCallion’s cross found the head of Bannerman to head home his second of the game to make it 2-0 with a good finish.

Credit to the home side, they still battled to get back into the game and on 72 minutes Forbes could think himself unlucky to not quite find the target and a route back into the game.

Goal number 3 came and was a familiar face as McCallion tapped home after great work from Bannerman on the left weaved in and set up McNally, whose effort was well saved at point blank range but fell on a plate for the Burgh skipper to net his 22nd goal of the season.

McCallion’s tally increased to 23 in the 81st minute after sub Robertson was quick to intercept a loose pass and charge towards goal before playing a pass along the box that was only partially deflected but allowed McCallion to step back, turn and roll home into the net for 4-0.

Edinburgh did, however, manage to pull a goal back in the 86th minute with a smart finish from Snedden but the game was well and truly out of reach at that point.

Overall a solid performance from Burgh over a potential banana skin of a fixture with an extended break and a number of absentees, but the players involved rose to the occasion and did the job needed to do to secure a valuable win.

Man of the Match: Finn Bannerman