Gala Fairydean Rovers hoping to notch up winning double against Berwick Rangers after Boxing Day victory

Ben Lamont on the ball for Gala Fairydean Rovers during their 2-0 win at home at Netherdale on Tuesday to Berwick Rangers (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Gala Fairydean Rovers are hoping they can go on to notch up another win at the weekend in their festive double-header against Berwick Rangers after drawing first blood on Tuesday.

Netherdale Stadium in Galashiels hosted a 2-0 win for manager Martin Scott’s Rovers side this week and the reverse fixture follows this coming Saturday at the Northumbrians’ Shielfield Park home ground, with kick-off at 3pm.

On target for Rovers on Boxing Day were Jamie Semple with a header past visiting goalkeeper Calum Antell just ahead of the hour mark and Jared Lyons with a cross-cum-shot on 71 minutes.

Boxing Day’s defeat was Berwick manager Thomas Scobbie’s side’s second on the trot on the road after being given a 5-1 hiding away to Bo’ness United at Newtown Park on Saturday.

Jamie semple on the attack for Gala Fairydean Rovers during ther 2-0 win over Berwick Rangers at home at Netherdale on Tuesday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Rovers also lost at the weekend, going down 3-1 away to Heart of Midlothian B at Edinburgh’s Ainslie Park on Friday night.

Ben Lamont put the Borderers ahead in the capital with eight minutes on the clock but Northern Ireland under-19 international Makenzie Kirk hit back with a hat-trick for the Scottish Premiership side’s colts, scoring on 15 minutes, 61 and 90.

Gala go into this weekend’s rematch with Berwick, the nearest thing to a Borders derby the Scottish Lowland Football League is able to offer since Selkirk’s demise in 2018 and Vale of Leithen’s relegation in 2022, three league places and four points better off than their hosts, sitting 12th in the standings on 24 points from 21 fixtures.

Winger Danny Galbraith is looking forward to the second instalment of their double-header, saying: “It’s very strange to play the same team twice in five days.

Gala Fairydean Rovers manager Martin Scott watching his side beating Berwick Rangers 2-0 at home at Netherdale on Tuesday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

“I’ve no idea why that was seen as a good idea but it is what it is. It’s strange having what’s basically a home leg and an away one in the league in the space of a few days but we just need to get on with it.

“Both teams will go into the second game knowing a bit more about their opposition than they did ahead of the first one but we’ll just have to deal with that.

“They’re two massive games for us as we need to try to pick up points.”

Berwick, managed by Stuart Malcolm at the time, won both the teams’ meetings last season, by 2-0 away in September 2022 and 2-1 at home in December of that year.