9-0 thumping a ‘freak result’, Peebles Rovers chief insists

Peebles Rovers going down 9-0 to Penicuik Athletic on Tuesday (Photo: Kenny Holt)

There’s now just over a week to go until the start of the next East of Scotland Football League first division conference B season on Saturday, July 17, and manager Mikey Wilson’s side are confident they’ll be ready by then to give a good account of themselves.

Their pre-season friendly campaign had been going pretty much according to plan until Tuesday night, July 6, consisting of one win, one draw and one defeat, but it went very much downhill against a Midlothian side only one tier above them in the Scottish football pyramid.

The EoSFL outfit ran riot at Penicuik Park, only just missing out on getting their score into double figures.

Nicky Reid opened the scoring for Athletic on nine minutes, followed by two apiece from Aaron Somerville on 22 and 79 minutes, Ryan Baptie on 28 and 38 minutes and Paul Tansey on 58 and 82 minutes, plus one from Jack Furness on 63 minutes.

Rovers chairman Colin Macdonald believes that hammering was just an aberration, though, and is hoping for happier days ahead.

“It was a strange night, to say the very least,” he said.

“Coming off the back of a good 3-1 away win at Ormiston, also a conference team, and then a draw and close result with Gala Fairydean Rovers and Vale of Leithen of the Lowland League, we just didn’t see this coming.

“Penicuik were at it from the first minute. They are slick and a really well put together team, so credit to them.

“We experimented with a couple of things and had a bad night at the office, combining to provide what I can only describe as a freak result.”

“It’s back to business at Dalkeith next and we’ll aim to put things right, although our manager, Mikey Wilson, still wants to look at a few younger players and experiment a bit so we can’t put too much emphasis on results from friendlies.

“We’re looking forward to the real action later in the month and are confident ahead of the new campaign.”

Peebles start their league season at home to Perth and Kinross side Luncarty at 2.30pm on July 17.

Next up after that, on Wednesday, July 21, they’re away to Stirling University at 7.30pm.

A further away trip follows on Saturday, July 24, to Fife’s Oakley United, kicking off at 2.30pm.

Prior to that, though, they’ve got one last warm-up game this coming weekend against another Midlothian side, conference A outfit Dalkeith Thistle.