EDGE Hill Saints kept their slim hopes of an FNQ Football men's premier division soccer finals berth alive with a fighting 4-1 victory over Innisfail at Tiger Park yesterday.

The win put Saints within four points of fourth-placed Stratford but with matches against heavyweight teams Marlin Coast and Mareeba looming over the next fortnight, reaching the finals remains a tall order.

Edge Hill’s victory was built on a sensational start in which the home side posted three goals before 15 minutes.

Fortune favoured the Saints for their opening goal with a mis-directed pass from Cameron Field bouncing over Innisfail goalkeeper Trent Coleman’s head and into the goal in the seventh minute.

There was nothing lucky about their second effort just six minutes later when Scott White finished off good lead-up work from Shane Roberts and Greg Vanderpluym.

A stunned Cutters did not have time to recover with Edge Hill scoring again directly after the kick-off, Roberts running on to an excellent long ball from Malcolm Geerlings, and finishing sweetly for a 3-0 lead.

Innisfail dominated the remainder of the first half but could not open itsaccount until 16 minutes after halftime when Eric Veivers beat Edge Hill custodian Sam Ferguson with a nicely timed shot.

Any hopes of a Cutters revival were dampened in the 70th minute when Blake Cremer scored from the penalty spot after being brought down in the box by defender Leonardo Di Carlo.

Innisfail’s Renzo Franco completed the scoring with a superbly struck shot with six minutes of the match remaining.

Saints goal scorer Roberts said the Edge Hill defence did well to keep the Cutters out after securing the early advantage.

"We had them in the first half after the three early goals but they kept coming at us and we knew they would," he said.

A one-club man after first linking with Edge Hill as a junior, Roberts said he had tasted success more often than not against Innisfail over the years but conceded yesterday’s victory had been hard work.

Innisfail coach and defender Peter Hurney said his side had repeatedly struggled early this season and believed it was a hangover from its poor 2007 season.

"If you take out the first 15-20 minutes of our games, we play all right," he said.

"I think it’s left over from last year, just a lack of self-belief.

Hurney said the loss had virtually ended the Cutters’ finals bid.

Justin Corser and Robert Wales were among those to figure prominently for Edge Hill while Damon McLeod and Lorenzo Sipi were among the Cutters’ best.

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