1-0 win for Gala Fairydean Rovers as pre-season schedule continues

That 1-0 victory against the East Lothian outfit, following on from a 1-0 loss at home to Edinburgh City seven days prior, was secured by a 50th-minute goal from defender Kieran Moyles, a summer signing from Edinburgh’s Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale.

Moyles, 23, was one of six new faces in manager Martin Scott’s starting line-up along with fellow defender Liam Fagan, signed from Coatbridge’s Albion Rovers, former Newtongrange Star goalkeeper Shea Dowie and three midfielders – ex-Kilmarnock and Ross County player Scott Boyd, Michael Foley, previously at East Kilbride, and 18-year-old McKenzye Campbell, on loan at Bathgate Thistle from Livingston last season.

Moyles had been at Vale since October 2024, having also played for Gala’s Scottish Lowland Football League rivals Gretna 2008 and Broxburn Athletic.

Fagan, 22, had been at the other Rovers, Lowland League rivals of Fairydean’s since 2023, for five months, having been in the North Lanarkshire club’s reserve squad prior to that.

Making up the rest of the hosts’ starting XI, captained by Danny Galbraith, were Keaghan Jacobs, Jamie Semple, Che Reilly and Michael Beagley.

On their bench were Lewis Hall, Fletcher Patterson, Mo Silah, Ethan Dougal, Zach Paris and Kieran Dolan.

Next up for Scott’s side is a trip to another East Lothian EoSFL top-flight team, Musselburgh Athletic, this coming Saturday for the club’s annual John McLay Memorial Cup fixture, with kick-off at Olivebank Stadium at 2.30pm.

That trophy, a tribute to a late fan of both clubs of that name, was first contested at Nertherdale last July, with Musselburgh winning 4-1.

That’s followed by two further friendlies, both Borders derbies at home – to EoSFL division three’s Vale of Leithen on Tuesday, July 15, with kick-off at 7.45pm, and EoSFL division two new boys Linton Hotspur on Saturday, July 19, at 2pm.

Rovers’ next Lowland League campaign, their 13th on the trot, begins away to West Lothian’s Linlithgow Rose on Saturday, July 26, and their first home fixture will be against Midlothian’s Bonnyrigg Rose on Wednesday, July 30, at 7.45pm.

Also coming up for Fairydean is their 2025 annual general meeting and that will be held in their clubrooms on Thursday, July 17, at 6.30pm, with all premier club card members invited.

See also …

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/sport/football/away-ties-for-four-out-of-five-borderers-in-round-one-of-next-football-seasons-south-region-challenge-cup-5207908

and …

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/sport/football/gala-fairydean-rovers-to-kick-off-13th-scottish-lowland-football-league-season-away-to-linlithgow-rose-5202863