Gala Fairydean Rovers bring in reinforcements on loan in bid to turn season around

Livingston loan signing Che Reilly on the ball for Gala Fairydean Rovers during their 2-0 Scottish Lowland Football League defeat at home to Tranent Juniors on Saturday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Gala Fairydean Rovers are drafting in reinforcements in a bid to salvage a season blighted by 13 defeats in their 24 league fixtures so far.

Saturday gone’s 2-0 defeat at home at Netherdale Stadium in Galashiels to East Lothian’s Tranent Juniors leaves Rovers on course for their worst finish ever in the Scottish Lowland Football League unless they can turn things around in the ten games they’ve got left.

They’re currently 14th in the table, with 25 points from 24 fixtures, one place worse off than their joint worst finishing positions of 13th in 2018 and 2022, and three of the four teams below them have got games in hand, half a dozen in the case of 15th-placed Albion Rovers.

However, with 30 points still to play for and sitting only seven shy of the top half of the table, player-manager Martin Scott’s side are still in contention for a top-ten placing and they’ve brought in three new recruits on loan until the end of this season to help get them back on the up.

Loan signing Jordan Hunter in possession for Gala Fairydean Rovers, with Robbie McIntyre challenging, during their 2-0 Scottish Lowland Football League defeat at home to Tranent Juniors on Saturday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Their new faces are winger Che Reilly, striker Jordan Hunter and centre-back Arran Bone and all three went straight into Rovers’ starting line-up against Tranent at the weekend.

Fifer Reilly, 18, arrives from Scottish Premiership basement side Livingston after spending last year on loan at East of Scotland Football League premier division outfit Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts.

Hunter, 19, is being loaned out by Scottish League One team Kelty Hearts following prior spells at Hill of Beath Hawthorn, also in the EoSFL’s premier division, and Scottish Junior Football Association Midlands League side Dundee North End.

Bone, 17, a graduate of premiership side Motherwell’s academy, is out on loan for the first time.

Loan signing Arran Bone challenging for an aerial ball during Gala Fairydean Rovers' 2-0 Scottish Lowland Football League defeat at home to Tranent Juniors on Saturday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Captained by Gareth Rodger at the weekend, Rovers lost out to two first-half goals, with Lennon Walker beating home goalkeeper Jay Cantley on 31 minutes and Broque Watson doubling manager Ian Little’s visitors’ advantage five minutes later.

That victory saw Tranent claim a winning double against Gala as they also beat them at home in the reverse fixture in November, by 2-1.

Next up for the Borderers is a break from league duty in the form of an East of Scotland Qualifying Cup fourth-round tie at home to Perth and Kinross team Luncarty, currently second from bottom of the EoSFL’s premier division, this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm.