Heartless Hotspur

Tweeddale Rovers 10

ROVERS ripped up Hotspur’s hopes of challenging for the title on Saturday with a ten-goal demolition.

Less than a month after Gala had beaten Tweeddale in the Wright Cup final, they were put firmly in their place by the league leaders.

Man-of-the-match Blair Meikle netted four times, his strike partner Grant Wilson scored a hat-trick, and David Lindsay, Ruaridh McNaughton and Blair Moffatt were also on the scoresheet.

Delighted co-manager Jimmy Moffat told us: “I am thoroughly delighted with the win.

“We came down with a couple of injury problems but the boys adjusted well and we played really good football.

“The boys have worked hard at training all week and they deserve a lot of credit.

“Losing the cup final hurt the players and they wanted to win this one.”

The home team started brightly enough with a Joe Tait shot deflecting inches past the post on five minutes.

And approaching the quarter hour Stuart Robertson burst through only to be halted by a brave smother from Ryan Bertram.

Tweeddale gradually found their feet and Meikle put Wilson in on 17 minutes only for Michael Sanderson to block his effort.

But Sanderson was helpless two minutes later as Wilson made amends to blast a low angled shot into the far corner to break the deadlock.

The loss of top scorer Shaun Hardie was a further blow for the home team.

Tweeddale doubled their advantage on 28 minutes as a long Blair Moffat throw somehow bounced through to the back post for Meikle to slot home his first.

A close range Wilson header two minutes later made it 3-0 for the visitors.

And it could easily have been more.

McNaughton was denied by Sanderson as he sprinted through the defence and Meikle smacked the post with an angled shot.

Rovers did find a fourth just before the break as an unmarked Meikle darted into the six yard box to head home Wilson’s cross.

Hotspur’s static defence had been poor in the first half.

And they didn’t get any better after the interval. By the hour Rovers had scored another four as huge gaps continued to appear in the Gala backline.

McNaughton stabbed home the fifth after Davie Paterson had headed against his own bar.

Three minutes later Lindsay ran through unchallenged to pick his spot in the net.

And Meikle notched up his hat-trick after taking two attempts to beat Sanderson on 58 minutes.

More hesitant defending allowed Wilson to score his third just before the hour.

Meikle’s fourth, and Tweeddale’s ninth, was a bit of individual brilliance as he spun away from his marker to shoot beyond the keeper.

Blair Moffat celebrated becoming a dad the previous day by heading home his team’s tenth on 73 minutes.

Gala’s late consolation came from the penalty spot with Sanderson running from his own goalmouth to convert the spot kick beyond his opposite number, Ryan Bertram.

For Hotspur co-manager Fred Blackie it was a day to forget. He told us: “They had much more desire to win than we did. I thought we were

heartless.

“It is a bad one to take but we play Tweedmouth next week and a win would keep us in the promotion race. We need to be a lot, lot better.”

Gala Hotspur. M Sanderson, D Paterson, J Little, M Gordon, D Watson, S Pringle, F Brown (D Foley 59), M Blackwood (M Lough 43), S Robertson (D Mitchell 78), J Tait & S Hardie (D Kemp 23).

Tweeddale Rovers. R Bertram, R McNaughton (F Moffat 66), M Macleod (S Warren 66), M Rathie, B Moffat, R Meikle, B Meikle, D Lindsay, C Collin, R Moffat & G Wilson (N Rogers 78).