Hawick Royal Albert 6

Civil Service Strollers 2

David Knox at Albert Park

THEY’VE had to wait 31 years but on Saturday Hawick Royal Albert yet again reached the second round of the Scottish Cup.

In a breath-taking display of finishing Dean Shanks’ team raced into a four goal lead at the interval.

Despite a mini revival from the Strollers, Hawick had done more than enough to create their own little bit of history… and a glamour tie against Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park.

Manager Shanks said: “I’m ecstatic to get through. The boys were fantastic today.

“It’s a great achievement for the team and for the town of Hawick.

“We knew we’d get a reaction from Civil and we needed that fifth goal to calm the nerves.

“We’re through which is the main thing.”

It couldn’t have started any better for the Royalists.

Just seconds after appealing that his second minute header had crossed the line, Josh Morris dinked in a cross for Kris Mitchell to smash home the opener.

Morris almost added to the tally after twice racing beyond the visiting defence only for his first touch to let him down.

But he made no mistake on 18 minutes as he collected James McPartlin’s through ball to fire a second goal in off the bar.

The former Berwick Rangers striker added Hawick’s third just before the half hour with a tremendous curling shot from the edge of the area.

And just before the interval he was clipped by keeper Stuart Burnside as they both went for a long ball, and completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.

Civil had done little in the first half to suggest any hope of a fight back.

But they suddenly picked up the pace in the second half and squandered a couple of good chances before Barry Milven finally headed a goal back on 55 minutes.

A stunning Steven Froude strike from 30 yards brought the score to 4-2 just after the hour.

Hawick suddenly looked a little shaky.

But the nerves were calmed on 67 minutes as Morris cut in from the left to squeeze the ball beneath Burnside for his team’s fifth.

Mitchell completed a memorable day for the Albert when he collected a Jon McInally pass to curl an unstoppable shot into the far corner.

Hawick Royal Albert. K Rankin, R Stevenson (J Begbie 87), S Spence, D Johnson, N Smeaton (R Boyd 86), S Meikle, H Hunter, J McPartlin, J Morris (G Pettigrew 84), K Mitchell & J McInally