Third league loss on bounce for Gala Fairydean Rovers

Ethan Dougal in action during Gala Fairydean Rovers' 5-1 loss at home to Bo'ness United on Saturday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Gala Fairydean Rovers were hit by their third Scottish Lowland Football League loss on the bounce at home to Bo’ness United on Saturday, going down 5-1.

That defeat, their 17th of the season, leaves them third from bottom of the table, with 28 points from 29 fixtures, ahead of a visit from 14th-placed Broomhill, also on 28 points but with two games in hand, this coming Saturday, with kick-off at Netherdale Stadium at 3pm.

Rovers will go into that game looking for a winning double, having beaten Broomhill 3-2 in the reverse fixture in Dumbarton at the end of August.

Ryan Porteous put manager Stuart Hunter’s visitors ahead in Galashiels at the weekend within a minute of kick-off, beating home goalkeeper Jay Cantley following a Fin Malcolm cross.

Manager Martin Scott watching Gala Fairydean Rovers' 5-1 loss at home to Bo'ness United on Saturday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Porteous and Malcolm reversed roles for United’s second on 19 minutes.

Kieran Mitchell added a third goal just after the half-hour mark, from a Lewis Hawkins assist.

Porteous got his second and his team’s fourth on 42 minutes, from a Tom Grant pass.

Half-time substitute Jamie Hamilton rounded off the scoring for the visitors on 48 minutes, from a Mitchell cross, to secure a winning double against the Borderers, having beaten them 3-0 in the reverse fixture at Newtown Park back in July.

Ciaran Greene on the ball during Gala Fairydean Rovers' 5-1 loss at home to Bo'ness United on Saturday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Rovers put a consolation effort past visiting goalkeeper Musa Dibaga on 65 minutes, Lwendo Kazoka knocking in the rebound after Dibaga blocked a Jordan Hunter shot from point-blank range.

Joining Cantley and Kazoka in Gala’s starting line-up were Logan Boyle, Kyle Semple, Calum Ferguson, Arran Bone, Jared Lyons, Ethan Dougal, Liam Watt, Ben Lamont and Che Reilly.

Boyle and Semple went off on 50 minutes and Bone on 67, with Hunter, Ciaran Greene and Sam Nicolson replacing them.

Manager Martin Scott also named himself and his assistant Stevie Craig on the bench, along with Ryan Kidd, but they didn’t make it onto the pitch.

Bo'ness United in possession during their 5-1 win away to Gala Fairydean Rovers on Saturday (Photo: Brian Sutherland)

Rovers’ next match after Broomhill’s visit at the weekend is a trip to table-toppers East Kilbride next Tuesday, with kick-off at South Lanarkshire’s Calderglen Country Park at 7.45pm.

Their hosts, on 66 points from 27 fixtures, are a dozen points clear of Cumbernauld Colts at the top of the table.