Border Amateur Football Association matches thin on ground but goals plentiful

The three games apiece contested in the association’s A and C divisions yielded 13 and 22 goals respectively and another 29 were netted in the four B division matches played.

The biggest scoreline of the day was Hawick Legion’s 11-2 demolition of Leithen Rovers at home at Brunton Park.

Sean Clarke scored a hat-trick for the hosts, with Euan Gray and Kieran Murphy adding doubles and further contributions to the scoresheet coming from Hamish Murray, Jason Inglis, Finnen Gordon-Woolley and Aidan Oldham.

Greg Zokas and Conor McAllister were on target for their Innerleithen opposition in that B division fixture.

Saturday’s other B division match in the town, a derby at Wilton Lodge Park, saw eight goals go in as Hawick Colts got the better of Hawick United by 6-2.

Nathan Gillie got one goal for Colts prior to being sent off half an hour in, with Kevin Strathdee, Callum Hope, Joe Ngoa and Aaron Swailes netting their others and Martin Goldie and Lewis Muir replying for United.

The two other B division games played were a 5-1 win for Earlston Rhymers at Ancrum and a 2-0 defeat for Selkirk Victoria at Biggar United.

Scott Rice put away a hat-trick for Rhymers at Ancrum’s Bridgend Park, with Danny Simpson adding a double and David Richardson replying for the hosts.

The second biggest scorelines of the day were to be found in the C division, both Lauder’s trip east to Berwick’s Highfields United and Jed Legion’s to Eyemouth United Amateurs yielding nine goals.

Niall Jones scored four against Lauder, including his third hat-trick in a row, with Jayden Jeffrey adding a double and Dennis Smolenskij, Jake Wood and Cal Lee also on target.

Declan McCulloch got a hat-trick for Eyemouth during their 8-1 win, with Stefan Kennedy and Ilja Ovcinnikovs supplying doubles, Jake Rutherford adding another and Craig Hall registering a consolation effort for their visitors from Jedburgh.

The division’s only other match was a 2-2 draw for Gala Fairydean Rovers Amateurs at home to Berwick Colts, with Gary Cleghorn and Jared Curran scoring for the hosts.

Stow squandered an opportunity to go top of the A division after coming a cropper at basement side Tweedmouth Amateurs.

Jordan Steele got the fourth-placed visitors’ only score besides an own goal, with Michael Antcliff at the double, Kieran Lee and Yassine Esshali netting for their Northumbrian hosts.

Saturday’s two other A division fixtures were a 4-4 draw for Hawick Waverley at Chirnside United and a 2-1 loss for Tweeddale Rovers at home to Langholm Legion.

Waverley’s scorers were Jordan Yardley at the double, Matty Linton and Ross McLeod, with Owen Matthews, Robert Reid and Daniel Pattenden on the scoresheet for their hosts, assisted by a Darrin Robson own goal.

Grant Wilson was on target for Rovers in Peebles, with Andrew Whittall and Davie Borthwick scoring for their visitors from Dumfries and Galloway.