5-0 derby victory for Gala Fairydean Rovers against Vale of Leithen as pre-season friendlies continue

​The Borderers ended up third from bottom last season, four places down on the year before, but Scott’s now setting his sights higher and targeting a top-ten finish.

Last season’s 16th-placed finish out of 18, on 32 points from 34 fixtures, was Rovers’ lowest in their ten years in the fifth-tier league and the 38-year-old wants to see them heading back up the table next campaign, though he acknowledges that’s easier said than done.

“I think we need to build on the season before last,” said the former Livingston and Ross County forward after a 4-1 pre-season friendly defeat at home to East of Scotland Football League premier division side Musselburgh Athletic on Saturday.

“That’s probably where we want to be as a club and pushing to be in the top eight, but it’s a really difficult league.

“It’s going to be a challenging league, with some top teams within it.

“It’s an exciting league and we just have to take it one game at a time, as the old cliche goes, and see where that takes us, but we’re under no illusions about how difficult it’s going to be.”

Saturday’s friendly at Netherdale Stadium in Galashiels was Rovers’ fourth of the summer, following a 2-0 loss on the road at Scottish Championship newcomers Hamilton Academical seven days previously and a 3-1 defeat away to Glasgow’s Scoutable United the week prior, sandwiching a 3-3 midweek draw at League Two’s Edinburgh City.

Musselburgh’s scorers were Jordan Smith on 18 minutes, one of three trialists on 41, Jackson Barker on 70 and ex-Gala striker Nicky Reid on 73, with Kieran Dolan getting one back for their hosts ten minutes from full-time.

That victory earned the East Lothian outfit the inaugural John McLay Memorial Cup as a tribute to the supporter of both clubs of that name following his death in June last year at the age of 68.

Looking back over that warm-up, Scott said: “I thought it was a challenging match.

“Musselburgh were very well lrganised and their physicality at times was hard for us to cope with, and that was probably where their first two goals came from.

“From our perspective, defensively it was cheap – we didn’t really compete at the back post – and it got them ahead of the game.

“We tried to tweak things a wee bit at half-time and there was a bit more control in our play from then onwards but I don’t think we asked enough questions really of their defensive unit.

“We've worked a lot on structure and pressing but I just didn’t feel there was enough intensity in our play.”

Rovers’ pre-season schedule continued with a 5-0 Borders derby victory away to EoSFL second division team Vale of Leithen on Tuesday night, and that will be followed by a visit from EoSFL first division side Newtongrange Star on Saturday, July 20, with kick-off at 12.30pm.

A planned game at Luncarty’s Brownlands Park this coming Saturday versus Scottish Highland Football League side Rothes has been called off.

Rovers’ scorers at Innerleithen’s Victoria Park in midweek were Dolan, Joe Wylie, Sam Currie, Michael Beagley and Ethan Dougal.

See also …

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/sport/football/trip-to-caledonian-braves-first-up-for-gala-fairydean-rovers-next-football-season-4695638