Manager Steven Noble tells of disappointment as Gala Fairydean Rovers given 4-0 thumping by Broxburn Athletic
Gala Fairydean Rovers were hit by their second-biggest defeat of the current Scottish Lowland Football League East season last night, October 28, going down 4-0 at home to Broxburn Athletic.
A Jamie Docherty hat-trick past home No 1 Reece Murray – on 20 minutes, 24 and 30 – and a fourth goal from Errol Douglas on 73 – secured a third victory against the Borderers on the bounce for the fifth-placed West Lothian outfit, following two by 1-0 at home in July’s reverse fixture and last October, Douglas having scored their match-winner in the former and Docherty in the latter.
That was Fairydean’s biggest battering on league duty this term other than one by 5-0 away to Linlithgow Rose in August, though it’s matched and outdone by a couple of scorelines they ended up on the wrong side of in their inaugural KDM Evolution Trophy campaign, 4-0 against Rangers B in August and 6-1 versus Heart of Midlothian B the month after respectively, both also at home at Galashiels’ Netherdale Stadium.
Wednesday’s 11th loss of this term leaves interim manager Steven Noble’s Rovers as they were in the table, in 13th place, on seven points from 11 fixtures, thanks to previous gaffer Martin Scott’s new employers, 14th-placed Berwick Rangers, losing 1-0 hosting prior basement side Stirling University at the same time, with Finlay Miller on target for the visiting students on 56 minutes.
Noble was unimpressed by his side’s showing against Broxburn, telling the club’s Facebook page: “I was just really disappointed. It was a disappointing result.
“The lads have been excellent in recent weeks, putting in a lot of good performances, but tonight, in the first half especially, it felt a wee bit flat, a wee bit lackadaisical, and credit to Broxburn, they looked like a team in the top five and they were very good and clinical when their chances came and took them.”
Joining Murray in the hosts’ starting line-up, captained by Liam Fagan, were Greg Macpherson, Daniel Martins, McKenzye Campbell, Jared Lyons, Joe Wylie, Zack Tomany, Lennon Connolly, Che Reilly and Lewis Hall, with James Clare, Danny Galbraith, Tylar Denholm, Ross Lamb, Daniel Strickland, Arnault Kasa and Lewis McCulloch as substitutes.
Next up for Noble’s team is a visit from third-placed Brechin City this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm.