Borders tie is a different ball game

Encounters between Gala and Hawick are one of Scotland’s most enduring sporting rivalries, traditionally replete with incident and often ending with some memorable scorelines. The contestants yesterday delivered the goods in many regards – however when looking at the final result it’s worth hastily pointing out that this was a first-round Scottish Cup tie featuring the Border towns’ two East of Scotland League clubs, not the oval-ball game with which this region of Scotland is synonymous.

There should perhaps not be too much surprise at the glut of goals that we witnessed yesterday at Yarrow Park, Selkirk, which hosted the match due to Gala’s Netherdale pitch being dug up in preparation for the laying of an all-weather synthetic surface. Hawick have acquired an unfortunate reputation for having a porous defence with their goals against column over the last three seasons in league games alone hitting a not so grand total of 284. This campaign has hardly had a promising start either. A recent cup tie against Edinburgh City saw them lose by the sort of margin, 3-12, that would be enough to cause consternation amongst Hawick rugby devotees.

Yet, despite bearing the yoke of such a inglorious recent history Hawick took to the game with something approaching a spring in their step and could lay claim to playing the better football in a opening 45 minutes in which their fortunes veered wildly from despair to elation.

A regular follower of the Albert Park side voiced a fear prior to kick-off that if they conceded an early goal they were done for. Alas for them, after a brisk start in which they held the territorial advantage, Hawick proceeded to do just that.

It may have been Gala’s first purposeful incursion downfield, but it was clinically pieced together with Jay Wilson pushing down the left flank and sending over a cross from which Jack Hay sent a delightful looping header over Anderson and into the net after 11 minutes.

Shortly afterwards it was 2-0 to the hosts following the sort of painful-to-witness defensive misunderstanding that not only blighted this particular afternoon for Hawick, but also it’s fair to assume the last decade or so, given their horrendous statistics in recent campaigns, with Alan Jackson stroking home a free gift.

The expected capitulation did not descend immediately however as Hawick found sufficient resolve and stamina to pick themselves up and give it go. Their spirits were raised considerably by winger Luke Cooper scoring what was by far the most skilfully executed goal of the afternoon from an “up and over the wall” free kick.

With the tie nicely balanced at half-time, Hawick must have fancied their chances of springing a surprise on their old rivals but when Grant Gass drove home Gala’s third only two minutes after the restart the wheels fell off big time and Albert became reacquainted with the realities of their own form book.

“We went out for the second half with a lot of confidence, but the quick goal killed us”, lamented Hawick assistant manager Stewart Sharkey. “We felt should have been level or even in front at the break, but then our heads really went down”.

The roof caved in for the visitors in 12-minute spell in which they conceded a further four goals, some of which were almost too painful to watch. Hay’s second to make it 4-1 was particularly galling for the Hawick rearguard with communications going awry again and the nippy Gala striker racing clear to beat Anderson with ease.

Gerri Rossi, Arron Brunton and Hay all got themselves on the scoresheet in the crushing burst of Gala goals which followed, with Rossi’s neatly placed ground shot the standout. The demolition was then completed with one final cruel twist for Albert as Hay grabbed his hat-trick after Anderson had made a fine stop from a spot kick only to see the omnipresent winger follow up and slam the rebound into the back of the net.

For Fairydean manager, Fraser Lothian, it was a case of job well done after spells in the opening 45 minutes when they were on the back foot. “We didn’t play that well in the first half”, he conceded, “but we came firing out of the traps in the second and that was what we asked for. We’re happy to be through and the boys will enjoy tonight”.

For Sharkey and the Hawick contingent it was a case of the same old, same old. “I thought they would have kept their heads up in the second half, considering it was a derby,” he sighed. “It’s a learning curve I suppose”. A curve the Albert have had to try to climb up many a time in recent years alas.