Youths: Gala day in cup

Gala Fairydean Rovers Under-13s continued their impressive maiden season in the South East Region set-up with a 5-0 win away to Tynecastle’s second-string side in the first round of the Belmont Vauxhall Cup.

Gala Fairydean Rovers Under 13s

Gala’s attacking trio of Charlie Green, Patrick Carlin and Declan Bell were the stars as they tormented the Tynie defence time and time again.

Green was first to threaten with a free kick which skimmed the top of the bar.

Gala were dominant in the opening 15 minutes but Tynie could have led when Josh Davidson beat the offside trap and was one-on-one with Gala goalkeeper Aidan Black, but his shot missed the target.

Carlin put Gala ahead with a wonderfully-executed 
finish past Craig Liddle, after a ball from midfield had put the striker through.

Three saves in quick succession by Liddle kept Gala’s tally to just one but there was only so much he could stop, and Gala doubled their lead after 25 minutes. Thomas Purves’s pass found Bell who swivelled expertly before firing past Liddle. Jamie Hart could have pulled one back for Tynecastle with their first shot on target.

His effort looked to be heading for the bottom corner, but Black did well to push it wide.

Gala made it three before half-time after a wonderful solo run by Carlin, who drove to the by-line and sent his cross across the face of goal for Bell to tap in his second.

Carlin had a chance for his second early in the second half after a piercing ball by Green found him in space. The striker rounded Liddle but, off balance, he put the ball wide.

Tynecastle came close to scoring when Black saved a Hart shot which was heading for the top corner, before Gala scored two late goals to make it five.

Bell notched his hat-trick when he slid the ball under Liddle, who had rushed out to put the striker under pressure, and then the diminutive frontman got a fourth with a poacher’s effort.

A shot by Harry Green – brother of aforementioned Charlie – from the edge of the box was saved by Liddle, but he couldn’t hold on to the effort and it fell back to Green who slid it unselfishly to Bell for a tap-in.

Tynecastle 2000s: Craig Liddle, Joseph Saddler, Christian Graham, Murray Haldane, Ross MacFarlane, Josh Davidson, Jamie Hart, Ben Hunter, Callum Summers, Martin McCann, Liam Wales, Mitchell Campbell, Robert Fraczek, Harry Brooks, Eyvindur Bjarnason, Alex Prentice.

Gala Fairydean Rovers: Aidan Black, Calum Arnott, Declan Bell, Daniel Crainie, Patrick Carlin, Matthew Johnston, Fergus Johnston, Thomas Purves, Martin Smith, Charlie Green, Josh Third, Sam Cockburn, Finlay Sweetnam, Jack Noble, Harry Green.