No fairytale for Gala as Airdrie run riot

LOVERING drilled home a soft penalty midway through the half to open the floodgates.

Boyle shot home the second before Stevenson grabbed two.

Boyle got his second from the edge of the box and Stevenson completed his hat-trick when he struck home after a headed clearance. McFarlane nipped in to score from point blank range and Boyle tapped home his hat-trick goal after McFarlane had hit the post.

Lovering found the corner from long range and Donnelly headed home from inside the six-yard box. Holmes completed the rout from close range.

Shrewd punters made thousands on the game after spotting odds of 100-1 with Victor Chandler for Airdrie to be 5-0 up at half-time. The bookmakers, though, have insisted they saw nothing suspicious in the betting.

Airdrie United: Fairley, Bain, Lovering, Stallard, Lilley, Lynch (Owens 57), Johnston, Stevenson (Holmes 71), Boyle (Burns 71), Donnelly, McLaren. Subs not used: Green, McKane.

Gala Fairydean: Turnbull, G Hay, Brown, Young, Lothian, Hunter (McBride 64), Wilson, Rossi, Brunton (Gass 73), Livingstone, J. Hay (Jackson 78). Subs not used: Glass, Lynch.