Losing streak for Gala Fairydean Rovers against Tranent goes on

Jamie Semple put the Borderers ahead with a goal past away keeper Kelby Mason with just four minutes on the clock at Galashiels’ Netherdale Stadium at the weekend but their visitors hit back via Cammy McKinley on 41 minutes, Harry Girdwood on 45 and Guy McGarry on 67 to claim all three points and continue an unbeaten run against Rovers dating back to their first meeting in August 2022.

That inaugural encounter on the road yielded a goalless draw and that remains Fairydean’s best result so far against Tranent following their promotion as East of Scotland Football League premier division champions that summer.

They’ve lost all six of their Scottish Lowland Football League games since – at home by 2-0 in February 2023 and the same scoreline in January 2024 and 2-1 last October and away by 2-1 in November 2023 and 7-0 last September prior to Saturday’s defeat.

They’ve also met twice in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup, with Fairydean losing at home on both occasions, by 4-2 in August 2018 and 6-0 a year later.

Saturday’s result, Gala’s fourth loss of the season, sees them drop two places from sixth in the table to eighth, level on 16 points from ten fixtures with seventh-placed Bo’ness United but with a goal difference six inferior.

Next up for manager Martin Scott’s Rovers is a trip to league leaders Linlithgow Rose this coming Saturday in the Scottish Cup’s first round, with kick-off at 3pm at Prestonfield Stadium.

That was due to be followed by an away-day at league newcomers Clydebank, last season’s West of Scotland Football League premier division champions, the Tuesday after, but that match has now been put back to Saturday, November 15, also at 3pm.

Linlithgow are currently three points clear of Clydebank at the top of the table, on 27 points from ten matches. The second-placed West Dunbartonshire side are on 24 points, also from ten fixtures.

This weekend’s cup tie follows Rovers getting off to their first winning start to a season for eight years away to Rose on Saturday, July 26, by 2-1, thanks to goals from Ethan Dougal and Danny Galbraith, with Dylan Paterson getting one back for manager Gordon Herd’s hosts.

That was Fairydean’s first league win against Linlithgow since their arrival in Scottish football’s fifth tier as EoSFL premier division champions in 2023, though they’ve beaten them in cup games in March 2023 and February 2024, and also the first time they’ve begun a league campaign with a victory since getting the better of Stirling University by 3-1 at the Falkirk Stadium back in August 2017.

They’ve only picked up one point against Linlithgow over the last two years, thanks to a 1-1 away draw last October, courtesy of a 90th-minute Kieran Dolan equaliser after Aaron Nicolson had put their hosts in front.

Their other three league fixtures all ended in defeat, Rovers having lost at home by 3-2 in November and 6-1 in December 2023 and away by 5-0 in August 2023.

Fairydean’s only meeting with Rose prior to 2023 was a 2-0 home knockout in the Scottish Cup’s first round back in September 2015.

Their other knockout ties have yielded mixed fortunes – a 3-1 East of Scotland Qualifying Cup final loss in Penicuik in May 2022, a 4-3 penalty shootout victory in March 2023’s East of Scotland Cup final in Rosewell after ending open play level at 2-2 and a 3-0 win at home in the Scottish Lowland Football League Cup in February 2024.

Fairydean were knocked out of the Scottish Cup in round one last season, losing 1-0 at home to the Scottish Highland Football League’s Banks o’ Dee last September but they have made it as far as the third round previously.

That three-round cup run ended with a 1-0 defeat at home to Annan Athletic in November 2021 after a 3-1 second-round knockout of St Cuthbert Wanderers on the road the month before and a 1-0 first-round win at Edinburgh’s Spartans five weeks prior.