Gala Fairydean Rovers up for cup on two fronts this weekend and next

Civil Service Strollers' Lewis Duffy vying for possession with Gala Fairydean Rovers' Ross Aitchison as home boss Neil Hastings looks on (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

That 3-2 defeat by the capital team at Netherdale on Saturday was in the Scottish Lowland Football League, but the Galashiels side will be putting league duties to one side until the end of the month as they continue cup campaigns on two fronts.

First up is a trip to East of Scotland Football League first division conference X side Whitburn Juniors in West Lothian this coming Saturday for a second-round South Challenge Cup tie, with kick-off at 2.30pm.

Whitburn are fourth in that new conference with 23 points from 11 games.

Zander Murray challenging for a ball for Gala Fairydean Rovers (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

That’s followed the Saturday after, October 23, by a second-round Scottish Cup tie away to St Cuthbert Wanderers in Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway.

Wanderers are seven points clear at the top of the sixth-tier South of Scotland Football League at present, with 31 points from 12 games, and bidding for promotion to the Lowland League.

Gala don’t return to league duty until Saturday, October 30, when they travel to Falkirk to take on East Stirlingshire, currently fifth in the table with 28 points from 16 games. That’s five places and as many points ahead of Gala but the Borderers have two games in hand on them.

Manager Neil Hastings’ team’s goals against Strollers last weekend were scored by captain Jack Beaumont from the penalty spot on 33 minutes to put the hosts in front and Liam Gray on 86 minutes to equalise at 2-2, with Andy Johnstone, Svet Kosokof and Ross Young scoring for the visitors, the last netting two minutes into added-on time to take all three points.

Calum Hall playing for Gala Fairydean Rovers against Civil Service Strollers (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

That defeat followed Rovers’ fifth win on the trot last Wednesday night, 3-0 away at Gretna 2008 in the league.

Calum Hall put the visitors ahead with four minutes on the clock, cutting in from the left to drill a 22-yard piledriver into the bottom corner of the net.

Ciaren Chalmers doubled Gala’s lead on nine minutes after breaking through the home defence and squeezing a shot over the line.

Zander Murray wrapped things up on 33 minutes by volleying a Beaumont delivery into the roof of the hosts’ net.