Football: Hawick Royal Albert 4-2 Eyemouth Utd

For following a dismal first half showing in which they hit the downward path, Hawick came out a transformed side after the break to hit an uphill road that pave its way to a victory.

In a game that had been switched from Albert Park to Gala Fairydean Rovers 3G ground at Netherdale, Eyemouth came near to breaking the scoring with just minutes gone.

Gavin Burrell swung over a corner kick which appeared to be swerving into the far top corner of the net until being palmed away by Hawick keeper Kyle Rankin.

Searching for their first league win of the season, United were looking the likelier side and Patrick Tillbrook was just off target when driving a Tom Wyman pass inches wide.

With 19 minutes gone a goal did arrive but it was Hawick who did the scoring. Former Albert signing Lewis Mitchell brought Jon McInally down in the box and Josh Morris put the resultant penalty away with great precision.

Nine minutes later Mitchell turned from sinner to saint in netting from the penalty spot after Ryan Stevenson had fouled Burrell.

The Albert came rallying back and Stevenson had a well struck drive pushed out by Eyemouth keeper Adam Mutch. Kris Mitchell was on hand to meet the loose spinning ball and fired a shot against the post.

In the 33rd minute Wyman put United ahead in beating Rankin all the way with a splendid powerful header on meeting a Dean Walker cross.

Hawick came out firing on all cylinders at the beginning of the second period and within seven minutes drew level.

Breaking out of his defensive role with a run down the right, Craig Robertson sprayed an inside pass into the path of recent signing Kris Mitchell from Vale of Leithen, who fired home.

After Mutch had pulled off a superb strike from McInally, Hawick sailed ahead when Morris bulleted a Stevenson cross into the net with his head in the 59th minute.

The Albert were now in the driving seat and after Cameron MacFarlane had twice came close to getting his name on the score sheet struck again seven minutes from time. Wyman miss-hit a clearance in attempting to boot away a Morris cross and Kris Mitchell cashed in by tucking a shot out of the reach of Mutch.

Summing up the game, Hawick assistant manager Dean Robertson told the ‘Southern’, “We were really poor in the first half and indeed it was the worst we have played all season. The players got a kick up the backside at half time though because of this. In the second half we really picked up and Eyemouth were rarely in the game.”