Wait for first home points of season goes on for Hawick Royal Albert United

Hawick Royal Albert United's Joe Ngoa on the ball prior to being red-carded 23 minutes into their 4-0 defeat by Stirling University (Pic: Bill McBurnie)

United had claimed their first victory of their current East of Scotland Football League first division conference B campaign away to Fife’s Newburgh Juniors seven days previously, but hopes of building up a bit of momentum after that maiden win were left in tatters once they were reduced to ten men early on.

Winger Joe Ngoa was given his marching orders with 23 minutes on the clock, leaving his team-mates a man short for almost three-quarters of the game.

That was the 26-year-old’s second sending-off within 25 minutes of kick-off this season after being red-carded five minutes after scoring Hawick’s only goal of their 9-1 opening-day defeat away to Glenrothes.

John Shankie on the ball for Hawick Royal Albert United against Stirling University (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

The hosts weren’t able to get on the scoresheet this time round as the visiting students claimed all three points courtesy of a Cammy McKinlay hat-trick and a further goal by Darren Elder.

Next up for manager Jordan Gracie’s team is a trip to Crosshill in Fife this coming Saturday, August 14, to play Lochore Welfare, with kick-off at 2.30pm.

That’s followed by a visit to Albert Park by Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University next Wednesday, August 18, at 7.30pm.

Hawick are currently second bottom of conference B, with three points from six games, two points above basement side Peebles Rovers.

Their next opponents are four places and three points ahead of them in tenth spot and the capital students are third in the table with ten points from five games.