Gala Fairydean Rovers 1

Airdrie 3

David Knox at Netherdale

CONFIDENT Fairydean Rovers manager Steven Noble believes he is building a squad which will take his team higher in the Lowland League than they have ever been before.

Going by Saturday’s pre-season encounter with ambitious Airdrie he may well be right.

While a few defensive errors proved to be the difference between the sides, the Lowland League team matched the full-timers for almost all of the 90 minutes.

Manager Noble was pleased at the final whistle. He told us: “Having a friendly this early means we will make mistakes.

“Overall I thought we did very well and each of the players played well.

“We’re looking to give a few players from the amateurs and East of Scotland an opportunity. To do anything in the Lowland League you need a big squad and that’s what I’m putting together.

“From the players I have and the ones that are coming I’m confident of having the best squad we’ve had in the Lowland League.”

The Fairydean Rovers almost got off to the perfect start in front of a 300-plus crowd as Jack Hay went within a whisker of heading Ross Lamb’s deep cross home at the back post.

Airdrie arrived at Netherdale with a full-strength squad featuring several new signings.

Former St Mirren midfielder Adam Brown and Motherwell legend Marc Fitzpatrick teamed up well to create a few half chances before the deadlock was broken on 24 minutes.

Ex Hamilton striker Conor McLaughlin forced Mark Walters into a good save with Brown quickest to react to fire home the rebound.

Kyle Collins, who was playing his first competitive match for 14 months, looked comfortable in his central role with Billy Miller.

Gala were pressing for an equaliser before the break when they were caught with a sucker punch in the 45th minutes.

A defensive mix up saw a tame ball run all the way across the box to Fitzpatrick, who teed up substitute Ciaran Reilly to tap in from close range.

A second Brown goal on 52 minutes after another defensive mix up could easily have seen the floodgates open, but Gala responded well.

Stuart Noble chipped Rohan Ferguson only for the ball to bounce round the wrong side of the post.

And just before the hour Hay headed a Ross Aitchison cross against the base of the post.

James Daly twice forced saves from Walters as play began to open up.

But Gala continued to give as good as they were getting with Ferguson producing two world-class saves in as many minutes.

Noble was denied by an acrobatic stop on 79 minutes and from the resultant corner the keeper again somehow palmed out Jordan Yardley’s header on the goal line.

Aitchison smacked the crossbar after latching onto Stewart Robertson’s low cross.

And in the 86th minute Ferguson again threw himself across goal to touch away Hagen Steele’s effort.

Gala were finally rewarded in the final minute as Michael Allan rose well to head Noble’s corner in off the crossbar.

It may only be a pre-season workout but there was plenty reason for optimism from the new look Fairydean Rovers.

Gala FR. M Walters, J Scott-Mercer (H Steele 80), S Main, T Hope (M Allan 60), G Windrum (J Inglis 46), B Herdman, K Collins (R Aitchison 46), B Miller, J Hay (J Yardley 77), R Lamb (S Noble 46) & D McColm (S Robertson 66).

Airdrie. R Ferguson, J Higgins (H Fairia 46), C Bell (S Thomson 60), D Cairns (J Daly 46), J Gorman (R Leighton 46), S McIntosh, A Brown, M Fitzpatrick, A Ryan (C Reilly 32), C McLaughlin & I Russell (C Truesdale 60).