Going fourth yields back-to back wins for Gala Fairydean Rovers

Saturday’s 4-1 win at bottom-of-the-table Dalbeattie Star, following on from a 3-0 one at home to Gretna 2008 seven days previously, took the Borderers’ points tally up to a new record of 46 from 35 fixtures.

Player-manager Martin Scott’s side have now only got one league game left, at home to Open Goal Broomhill at Netherdale in Galashiels this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm, and they go into it sitting 12th in the table, two places and five points worse off than their visitors from North Lanarkshire.

The reverse fixture at Cumbernauld’s Broadwood Stadium in August went against Rovers by 5-1 and that will be an added incentive for the hosts to give a good account of themselves in front of their fans this weekend, according to midfielder Danny Galbraith.

“That was probably our worst performance of the season and we were well beaten at their place,” he recalled.

“They play a good style of football so there are no excuses from our perspective.

“We need to make sure that we’re at it and we show what we can do.

“It’s an exciting game to end the season with, to be honest, because they’ve had a bit of hype around them.”

Looking back over his side’s campaign so far – including an East of Scotland Cup final victory against East of Scotland Football League premier division table-toppers Linlithgow Rose in March 4-3 on penalties after being tied 2-2 at the end of normal time – the 32-year-old added: “If you get a record points tally and you win a trophy and that’s not a successful season, then I don’t think we’ll ever have one.

“Clearly, we’d like to win every game, but so do every team and that’s never going to happen, so you’ve got to be realistic.

“We’re a team trying to build and trying to progress year on year, so this has been an incredible season for us.

“Fair enough, in terms of league position, it might not be our best-ever finish, but to get our best-ever points tally and bring a cup back to the club for the first time, I think everybody would have bitten everybody else’s hands off to get that at the start of the season.”

Rovers’ scorers in Dumfries and Galloway on Saturday, after being given a head start by a fifth-minute own goal, were Ciaren Chalmers on 47 minutes, Calum Hall on 69 and substitute Allan Smith on 74, with Adam Uphill getting one back for their hosts three minutes ahead of the final whistle.