Gala Fairydean Rovers hoping for Christmas present of points from double-header v Berwick Rangers

Gala Fairydean Rovers drawing 3-3 away to Berwick Rangers in December 2023 (Photo: Alan Bell)

This festive season brings with it a second double-header against Berwick Rangers on the bounce for Gala Fairydean Rovers and the Borderers will be hoping this winter’s home-and-away fixtures bear as many – or more – gifts for them as the three points they picked up last time round.

The Galashiels side are away to the Northumbrians at Shielfield Park for the nearest thing to a derby the Scottish Lowland Football League has to offer this coming Saturday, December 28, and at home to them at Netherdale Stadium on Saturday, January 4, both 3pm kick-offs.

Manager Martin Scott’s team go into those games sitting third from bottom of the table, with 15 points from 21 fixtures, following a 2-0 defeat at home to Gretna 2008 on Saturday, that being three points and one league place worse off than Rangers, having played two matches more.

This winter’s double-header against the English outfit, managed by Thomas Scobbie, follows another last year, yielding a 3-3 away draw at the end of December 2023, four days on from a 2-0 Boxing Day win at home.

Jamie Semple opened the scoring for the hosts just short of the hour mark last December 26, with Jared Lyons doubling their advantage on 71 minutes and the visitors unable to muster a response.

Semple, 23, was also on target on the other side of the border on Saturday, December 30, from the penalty spot on 32 minutes, along with Gareth Rodger, at Rangers from July to October this year, on 72 and Ben Lamont on 73.

Berwick’s scorers were Cammy Graham on 20 minutes and St Johnstone loan striker Jackson Mylchreest on 49 and 90, both penalties.

That one-point return from two games was the first time Rangers had failed to get the better of Fairydean since their arrival in the fifth tier of Scottish football in 2019.

The season before saw them beat Rovers home and away, by 2-1 in December 2022 and 2-0 three months earlier respectively.

Honours were even in 2021, with Rangers winning 4-2 at home that December after losing 2-1 on the road five months prior, and the campaign before, with the two teams drawing 2-2 in Northumberland in January 2020 and at Netherdale in September 2019.

Fairydean assistant manager Brian Delaney is hoping to see a response to his team’s 12th defeat of the season at the weekend – taking their tally of goals conceded to 60, the highest in the division by a margin of five – against Berwick, saying: “They’re hurting. They’re good lads and they represent the club with great pride.

“It comes down to organisation and it comes down to desire.

“People talk about set-plays in terms of a plan A or what have you, but there really is only one plan – you mark your man and take that responsibility and accountability.

“Just as importantly, you can’t be reactive to anything that happens within your area in the penalty box – you need to anticipate. Is there a bit of danger?

“We need to work on the mental side and fortitude and resilience and we need to smell danger. We should do that and anticipate that when there’s a set-play against us.

“We need to be more alert, for sure.

“As much as anything, it’s going to take dialogue because the organisation’s right but we’ve probably let in a number of goals in that fashion, which is unacceptable, and we need to work on that, mentally as much as practically.”

Saturday’s loss to Gretna followed a 2-1 friendly win last Wednesday away to East of Scotland Football League premier division side Haddington Athletic.

Fairydean’s scorers in East Lothian were Raith Rovers loan midfielder Jake Nicholson on 13 minutes, his first senior goal, and Che Reilly two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the game, with Gary Windram netting for the hosts just ahead of the hour mark.