Gala Fairydean Rovers facing KDM Evolution Trophy exit after draw away to William Hill League One’s Alloa Athletic

Manager Martin Scott’s Borderers followed up a goalless draw hosting Edinburgh’s Spartans four days earlier with another draw on the road in Clackmannanshire at the weekend with a 2-2 scoreline, but that two-point haul isn’t enough to keep them in the running for a place in the next round of the competition, alias the Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup.

That fifth-round result, in front of a crowd of 217, sees them fall two places to 36th of 40 in the trophy’s opening league-phase table, 14 places and five points adrift of the top-22 placing needed to progress to November’s round of 32, with only three left to play for.

It also takes gaffer Andy Graham’s third-tier opposition to 11 points from five fixtures, securing their place in the next round, and, sitting seventh in the table, they remain in contention for seeding if they can manage a top-six finish.

Clydebank are top on 13 points, with Ross County and Airdrieonians respectively second and trhird as two of five teams on 12 points.

Che Reilly scored both of Fairydean’s goals past Alloa No 1 Ross Stewart, on ten minutes and 61, with Brandon Forbes and Cameron O’Donnell replying for their hosts beyond visiting goalkeeper Reece Murray on 48 and 74 respectively.

Their other starters were captain Liam Fagan, Gregor and Ross Lamb, Kyle Anderson, McKenzye Campbell, Greg Macpherson, Lewis Hall, Jared Lyons, Joe Wylie and Ethan Dougal, with James Clare, Tylar Denholm, Arnault Kasa, Harry Penny, Daniel Strickland and Zack Tomany as substitutes.

Rovers’ sixth and last trophy fixture is against further William Hill League One opposition in the form of 14th-placed Hamilton Academical and that’s at home on Tuesday, October 13, with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Ahead of that, they’ve got a first-round Scottish Cup tie coming up this Saturday hosting the Scottish Lowland Football League West’s Largs Thistle, with kick-off at 3pm.

That round-of-30 tie is the two clubs’ first meeting in combined histories stretching back a century and a half, the Borderers having been founded in 2013 in their current incarnation and their North Ayrshire opponents in 1889, and it’s also Thistle’s first-ever Scottish Cup match.

Rovers resume their current Scottish Lowland Football League East campaign after just short of a month’s break away to Dunipace on Saturday, October 17, at 3pm.

They go into that game still waiting for their second win of the season and sitting second from bottom of the table, on three points from nine fixtures, one point and one place worse off than their upcoming hosts.

As with Largs, that will be the teams’ first competitive meeting, 1888-founded Dunipace being newcomers to the fifth tier, having previously played in the East of Scotland Football League’s premier division.