Selkirk 9-3 Wallsend Boys Club

CROWDED House sang about four seasons in one day, well the fans who lined Yarrow Park on Saturday got at least a couple of seasons’ worth of entertainment in one match.

The dozen goals – most of them crackers – and two red cards is hopefully a sign of the entertainment that lies ahead in the Lowland League.

And manager Garry O’Connor hopes Selkirk’s unbeaten start to the summer is a habit they’ll keep.

Following an enthralling 90 minutes against the Northern Alliance side, O’Connor said: “I keep telling the players that it is all about winning and that’s what is important.

“I didn’t think Wallsend were as good as I expected them to be but we’re a much better team than we were last year.

“You want your strikers scoring goals and building their confidence. We saw boys playing with confidence out there.

“On the downside we were slack for the first ten minutes and that’s the disappointing part of the game.

“We’re working on fitness and that slackness will go before the season starts.”

Most tourist teams are gifted pennants when they arrive at a new ground… instead charitable Selkirk gave their Newcastle opponents a couple of goals.

Will Pritchard slammed home the first from 20 yards before the clock had reached the second minute.

And in the fourth minute an Adam Tierney cutback was tucked away by John Woodhead.

The defensive disappointments of seasons past were suddenly brought back into focus.

But some slick one-touch football from the hosts soon had the optimism levels high again.

Phil Addison, Gary McCormack and Gary Nicolson all went close to pulling a goal back before Selkirk earned a penalty on 19 minutes.

McCormack, who impressed throughout much of the match, was chopped down inside the area.

The former Gretna striker picked himself up to fire home the penalty.

Centre half Conan McDiarmid equalised five minutes later after running from his own half to rifle an unstoppable low shot into the far corner from 25 yards out.

Nicolson clipped the bar on the half hour before Selkirk eventually took the lead – and in style - a few minutes later.

James Harley’s long ball to Murray Christie allowed the former Hearts full back to race towards the area and pick out McCormack, who finished with a tremendous first time shot.

Nicolson made it 4-2 as headed home an Addison corner on the stroke of half time.

Woodhead pulled a goal back on the hour with a fantastic 20 yard shot which went in off the post.

But the hosts were playing all the football and it wasn’t long until they stretched their lead.

Fraser Neave, who had just resigned for the season, smashed the ball home from 25 yards to make it 5-3.

And on 73 minutes McCormack scored his third with another delightful first-time strike from inside the area.

Former Hibs striker Jay Doyle, who had shown some nice touches, made it 7-3 with a powerful angled blast.

Neave scored the goal of the match four minutes later with a 25-yard curling shot that nestled in the top corner.

Wallsend had been guilty of a few rash challenges throughout the game.

And with six minutes remaining on the clock they were reduced to ten men as Chris Bainbridge made a horrendous studs-showing challenge inside the area.

McCormack, who looks as handy with his fists as with his feet, quickly followed him up the tunnel for his part in the retaliations.

Despite all the commotion, Neave kept his nerve to score his hat-trick from the spot and make it 9-3.

Manager O’Connor added: “For me their player tried to break my player’s leg and Gary reacted.

“He’s a talent but will have to watch his discipline.

“We need to be able to face up to teams like this and I thought we did that pretty well today.”

Selkirk. D Terry, J Pyper, J Harley, R King (R Scott 55), C McDiarmid, G McCormack, J Doyle, F Neave, G Nicolson (M Collin 51), P Addison (J Moyes 46) & M Christie.