Gretna 2

Gala Fairydean Rovers 5

A HAT-TRICK from Stuart Noble and a double from captain Jamie Gibson fired Gala Fairydean Rovers into the semi-finals of the Football Nation Qualifying Cup in a pulsating game at Gretna’s Raydale Park.

Former Fulham striker Noble scored twice in an end to end first half before adding a third just before the hour mark to book the Netherdale side’s place in the draw.

Persistent rain in the days leading up to the game meant that the Raydale pitch was extremely heavy.

But the visitors stuck to their passing style of play despite the conditions.

A corner flashed across the front of goal by Gala on six minutes was almost turned in by left back Taylor Hope.

In the ensuing passage of play Gretna struggled to clear their lines and when the ball broke to Stuart Noble he turned to fire past Vinnie Parker in the home goal.

Gala should have had a penalty on 14 minutes when Dean McColm was upended in the box but referee Martin McCarthy waved away the appeals.

To rub salt into the wounds, within 30 seconds the home side were level when Iain Anderson, looking to be at least three yards offside, rounded Gala’s Mark Wilson to score.

On 23 minutes Noble turned the home defence but saw his shot deflected just over the bar.

From the resultant corner Gibson headed home from the centre of the box following a pin-point Colin Galbraith cross after Stuart Rome’s Gretna once again failed to clear the danger.

Any hopes Gala had of holding onto their lead were dashed within a minute of the re-start when the impressive Anderson broke down the left and sent a cross into the box for an unmarked Darren Addison to nod into the net.

Gretna could have taken the lead shortly afterwards when a through ball split the Gala defence but this time Anderson fired narrowly wide.

On 36 minutes David Bonnar, who had a fine afternoon, picked out Gibson with a cross from the right. The Gala captain slipped as the ball arrived but he managed to regain his composure and his feet in time to stab the ball past Parker.

Gala were determined not to lose yet another equaliser and within 90 seconds stretched their lead. The impressive Hope won a challenge and then sent Ryan Clapperton on a run down the left. The hard-working midfielder skipped past a despairing tackle to play in Stuart Noble who used all his experience to round the home keeper and fire home Gala’s fourth of the afternoon much to the delight of the vocal visiting support.

The home-side started the second half in determined fashion and pressed for an early goal, however it was the visitors who put the tie beyond any doubt on 56 minutes when Noble completed his hat-trick.

Keeper Parker had done well to block the striker’s initial effort from the left but when the ball fell kindly to the 32-year-old he made no mistake with the re-bound.

Manager Steven Noble was full of praise for his side. He said: “We talked to the players beforehand about the fact it had been a long time since any Gala team had made it to the semi-final of this competition and they responded magnificently.

"At the end they were all exhausted as they gave us everything.

I couldn’t have asked for any more from the group and we are delighted to be into the semi-finals.”

Gala Fairydean Rovers: M Wilson, L Stephen, T Hope, C Galbraith (T Aitchison 72), S Main (C Jardine 76), D McColm, B Miller, D Bonar, S Noble, J Gibson, R Clapperton ( R Lamb 60).