Gala Fairydean Rovers claim second win in three games versus Old Firm colts

Belying their relative standings in the Scottish Lowland Football League, the Galashiels side have beaten Rangers B and Celtic B once apiece and lost to the latter once.

Rovers’ 4-2 victory against Celtic’s under-21s at Airdrie’s Excelsior Stadium on Saturday followed a 2-1 win against Rangers B at home at Netherdale at the end of October, their only loss to date this campaign to the Glaswegians’ youngsters being by 4-3 at home to the Hoops at the start of that month.

On target for the Borderers in North Lanarkshire at the weekend were Quinn Mitchell on 23 minutes, Allan Smith on 29 and Lewis Hall at the double on 45 and 55, with their full-time hosts replying via Joey Dawson on 41 minutes and, from the penalty spot, 57.

That result edges Rovers up one place in the table to 11th, on 36 points from 25 games, with Rangers B in pole position, on 51 from 24, and Celtic B fourth, on 48 from 23.

Gala midfielder Danny Galbraith rates Saturday’s win as his side’s best performance so far this term, telling us: “It was probably our best game of the season, in terms of the way we played and getting the result off the back of that.

“Ironically, I think we actually played really well against Celtic at home but let ourselves down late on in the game. We most definitely should have got at least a point, if not all three, that time round.

“To come away with nothing was particularly hard that day, so to put it all together again on Saturday and get the three points was testament to what was really a great team performance. I don’t think anybody had a bad game.

“I don’t have any worries when we go and play the better teams in the league that try to play the right way, though that’s not to say we’re going to win every time.

“I don’t think many teams in the league bar Rangers potentially would have approached Celtic that way.

“They’re probably more used to coming up against two banks of four or a 4-5-1 and a team sitting in hoping to nick something from a set-piece or a counter-attack, but the way we played was really matching them up and having a real go at them at their own game.”