Robbie Peffers netted a hat-trick as Portobello racked up nine against fellow division one high-flyers West Lothian FC at Portobello High School.

The result sees them into the last four of the Stewart Brien Cup, where they will play whoever is victorious between Longniddry Villa and Currie Star FC.

The hosts were dominant from the first whistle onwards, and their pressing from the front was key to this. West Lothian made their best attempt to play out of it but throughout the first half they struggled to get out and up the other end of the park. 

It set a tone for the way the game was going to be played. Taylor Hamill went close to scoring as he slid in at the back post, only for his effort to come back off the foot of the post. It was only a matter of time.

Their pressure was made to count just moments later. Alfie Smith danced into the area, and although his shot was blocked, it fell perfectly to Peffers who pounced from a few yards out to open the scoring.

Portobello’s wide men were influential in the outcome of the game and the width they provided caused all kinds of problems for the visitors. Whilst Hamill got himself into goalscoring positions on the right, Reynolds had a field day getting beyond his man and to the byline down the left.

They also had the creative Josh Crolla in the heart of midfield. He might have been the tallest player on the park, but midfielder showed a classy range of passing and netted a superb second for his side on 19 minutes from outside the box, leaving goalkeeper Noah Young helpless.

West Lothian looked to have held out until half time with the deficit at just two. That was until Smith stepped up to hit a free kick from well outside the area in the final minute of the half. He had no right to score, but the strike was of the highest order, giving Young no chance once again. The game had a different feel now going into the break; the visitors with a mountain to climb.

The last time the sides had met, earlier on in the season, Portobello had been four up before the West Lothian side had staged a fightback with two late goals, although the game finished 5-2. They would have been hoping for a similar performance in the second half to give them a shot at advancing to the semi finals.

Unfortunately for them however, this game was only going in one direction. Seven minutes into the second period, Peffers tapped in his second and two minutes later Crolla added another from range: the goalkeeping slightly helping the cause.

The sixth came halfway through the second half as Reynolds skipped down the right hand side and buried his strike in at the near post. 

Peffers competed the hat-trick as he converted Reynolds’ cutback to make it seven, before Owen Hastie added a brilliant eighth from a set-piece routine.

The sting was taken out of the game from there: West Lothian got forward on a few occasions but rarely tested Micheal Wilson.

Smith capped off the rout a few minutes from time. The ball fell nicely to him on the edge of the area, but it still took a sublime strike to beat Young for one final time. 

In the end it was a comfortable win for Portobello, and they’ll certainly fancy their chances at going all the way in the Stewart Brien Cup.