Gala Fairydean Rovers kept up their unbeaten start to their pre-season friendly schedule with a 3-1 win at home to the new Scottish Lowland Football League West’s Pollok on Saturday.
Daniel Strickland opened the scoring for manager Martin Scott’s Netherdale Stadium hosts on 23 minutes, with Lewis Hall doubling their advantage on 58 and Jared Lyons adding another on 65 prior to Lewis McCracken getting one back for the Glaswegians, 5-2 winners at home to the Borderers in round two of the Scottish Cup in October 2023, on 83.
Liam Fagan in action for Gala Fairydean Rovers as they won a pre-season friendly at home to Pollok on Saturday by 3-1 (Photo: Gala Fairydean Rovers)placeholder image
Liam Fagan in action for Gala Fairydean Rovers as they won a pre-season friendly at home to Pollok on Saturday by 3-1 (Photo: Gala Fairydean Rovers)
That was Rovers’ fourth warm-up win as they prepare to contest the new Scottish Lowland Football League East, starting at the end of the month.
Their prior friendly victories were by 2-1 hosting Fife’s Kelty Hearts on Saturday, June 20, 2-0 away to East Lothian’s Haddington Athletic on Saturday, July 4, and 4-0 on the road in Innerleithen for a derby versus the East of Scotland Football League second division south-east conference’s Vale of Leithen on Tuesday last week, and they’ve also drawn 3-3 at home to Edinburgh City on Saturday, June 27.
Lewis Hall, left, in action for Gala Fairydean Rovers as they won a pre-season friendly at home to Pollok on Saturday by 3-1 (Photo: Gala Fairydean Rovers)placeholder image
Lewis Hall, left, in action for Gala Fairydean Rovers as they won a pre-season friendly at home to Pollok on Saturday by 3-1 (Photo: Gala Fairydean Rovers)
Hall is their leading scorer of pre-season so far with four, including a hat-trick against gaffer Ger Rossi’s Vale.
Strickland is second with three, his others having been against Vale and Haddington. Ethan Dougal and Che Reilly are joint-third with two, both netting against Kelty, the former at Haddington and the latter versus City.
Also netting, both with one each ahead of Saturday, have been Liam Fagan and Tylar Denholm against City.
Fairydean have got two more friendlies left to go, away to the south-east conference’s Linton Hotspur tomorrow, July 14, and at home to a Hibernian XI this coming Saturday, with kick-offs at 7.45pm and 3pm respectively.
Pollok in possession during a 3-1 pre-season friendly defeat away to Gala Fairydean Rovers on Saturday (Photo: Gala Fairydean Rovers)placeholder image
Pollok in possession during a 3-1 pre-season friendly defeat away to Gala Fairydean Rovers on Saturday (Photo: Gala Fairydean Rovers)
Hotspur’s south-east conference rivals Hawick Royal Albert and EoSFL division one’s Coldstream were also in pre-season friendly action on Saturday, both winning, the former by 6-2 away to Edinburgh University and the latter by 7-1 at home to Northumberland’s Stobswood Welfare.
Struan McClean, Lewis Dyke, Graeme Clark, Harry Fowler, Jay McCracken and a trialist scored for manager Kenny Aitchison’s Albert and Craig Bell with a hat-trick, James Paxton at the double, Matt Boyd and Lewis Parker for opposite number David Brown’s Streamers.
Furrther friendlies follow this Saturday. Coldstream are at home to Midlothian’s Newtongrange Star at 2.30pm, Vale are away to Dumfries and Galloway’s Mid Annandale at 1pm and Hotspur and Albert are both up against Edinburgh opposition, also at 1pm, the former, co-managed by Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie, at home to Leith Athletic and the latter away to Corstorphine Dynamo.
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