Border Telegraph | Sport | Fairies' nightmare at Netherdale as Peebles run riot

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 10th October, 2007 12:30

Fairies' nightmare at Netherdale as Peebles run riot

By David Knox

IT was nightmare at Netherdale time for the Fairydean on Saturday as Peebles gave keeper Dave Catlin the fright of his life.

The league leaders were ruthless in and around the penalty area.

And every little mistake by the Gala number one was punished by a potent Peebles strikeforce.

A warning shot arrived as early as the third minute when former Brechin striker Scott Devlin rattled a free kick against the bar.

And the home side’s luck only lasted a couple of minutes’ more.

Chris Graham swung in a cross which was parried by Catlin into the path of Mark Brown and the former Vale winger slotted the ball calmly into the unguarded net.

The second arrived on the quarter hour when the impressive Paul Devlin stole in front of Catlin to head Michael Moffat’s near post cross into the net.

The Dean may have looked fragile at the back but, despite having a couple of teenagers in midfield, they more than held their own going forward.

And it took a Brown goal-line clearance to prevent Paul Hossack pulling a goal back on 20 minutes.

And the in-form midfielder had another opportunity to score moments later when he avoided the offside trap to go through on goal – but keeper Darren Walker smothered well at his feet.

At the other end Peebles simply don’t miss.

Graham ran unchallenged from the halfway line to slot the ball inside the post for the third.

Despite a hard shift from youngsters Kyle Collins and Grant Robinson they were harassed off the ball regularly by the more experienced Peebles players.

Grant Gass shot over on 36 minutes and Shane Greene’s effort moments later was blocked a yard from goal.

But hopes of any fightback were well and truly dashed just before the break when Scott Devlin shimmied past Lawrie Dunn and Greene to fire into the top corner.

Within 30 seconds of the second half starting, Peebles had gone five up.

Paul Devlin’s glancing header fell at the feet of the unmarked Gavin Tainsh who fired home from the tightest of angles.

And on the hour Paul Devlin completed a good counter attack to slam in the sixth.

The introduction of Paul McKay spurred Gala into a few more attacks of their own.

But they found keeper Moffat in good form and it came as no surprise when the visitors’ chalked up their seventh in the dying minutes.

Brown’s original shot was well blocked by Greene but the rebound fell back to the winger who shot into the net.

It’s a day Gala Fairydean will want to forget in a hurry.

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