​Berwick Rangers about to head west to Gala Fairydean Rovers hoping to end six-match winless run in league

Kick-off in Galashiels against manager Martin Scott’s previous club is at 3pm and Rangers will be targeting bouncing back from a fifth defeat in their last half-dozen league fixtures at home to Linlithgow Rose at the weekend.

That seventh defeat of this season, secured by a sixth-minute Dylan Paterson goal for their West Lothian opposition, leaves the Northumbrians third from bottom of their 16-team table, on five points from ten fixtures.

They’ve won on their last two visits to Netherdale, with Scott in the home dugout, however, so they’ll be out to make it three in a row against Fairydean, currently one place and one point better off than them in the table after beating Dunipace 5-1 away on Saturday gone.

Both those wins were by 2-1 scorelines, with Michael Barfoot and Kyle Somers on target and Jamie Semple replying in December 2025 and Liam Buchanan netting at the double and Ethan Dougal getting one back for their hosts in January of that year.

Looking back over Saturday’s defeat, Scott, 40, told his club’s Facebook page: “It was a pretty tight game.

“We had to shuffle the pack a wee bit and I think there was a wee bit of apprehension in the way we started the game, but on the flip side of that, Linlithgow Rose started really well and they scored during that period.

“I felt that after that, we settled down and there was a positive reaction from the group.

“We grew into the game and in the first half we had probably three good chances ourselves, including a penalty-kick, so I felt overall we deserved something from the game.

“They’re a very good Linlithgow Rose side, you can see that, but when you analyse it from our perspective, we have had only had five training sessions and four games since I arrived and we’ve got two victories and two defeats and I can see a massive improvement in our performance.

“We’re creating chances. Some of the football we played today was sensational but ultimately it’s a results business.

“I’ve said that to the players – as long as you’re applying yourself, there are no problems in that aspect.

“We can refine aspects of our game that are going to improve us and make us more competitive. We just have to keep working to improve and get better.

“Our main focus is on us – how can we improve? How can we get better?”

Looking ahead to his reunion with his old club, he added: “It’s an exciting game. I’m really looking forward to it.”