Stow 6

Earlston Rhymers 1

Kenny Paterson reports from Stow Park

SHAUN Hardie scored a brilliant quintet of goals to keep Stow on course for a Waddell Cup treble.

In a re-match of the cup final from last season, Earlston Rhymers gave Stow a fright by taking a shock lead but ex-Gala Rovers and Selkirk forward Hardie’s heroics mean Fraser Riddell’s men remain in the competition.

Riddell said: “We are proud of our Waddell Cup record having won it for the last two seasons, and we talked before the game about winning it for the third time in a row.

“We were lacking a goalscorer last season but Shaun has come in and made a difference. He already has scored a couple of hat-tricks but to score five goals in one game is a great achievement.”

Earlston had four ex-Stow players in their side and it was former striker Scott Hunter who opened the scoring as his free kick after half an hour squirmed past Tom Kerr in the home goal.

Rhymers looked like they would head into half time ahead. Instead two goals in two minutes changed the cup tie.

Hardie firstly scored with a free kick which resembled a Phil Mickelson pitching wedge as it perfectly dropped into the top corner.

The striker then scored from close range after good work by Callum Gass, although Earlston were adamant the latter had fouled their defender Sean Chapman in the build-up.

The tie was all but over ten minutes into the second half as Hardie headed beautifully past Lee Manderson.

Craig Lothian could have dragged Earlston back into the game but he could only hit the post after rounding Kerr.

Instead, Hardie added a fourth and fifth before he shot wide when clean through for what would have been his sixth.

But Stow did make it 6-1 in the final minute as Grant Gass blasted a half volley into the top of the net.

Stow: T. Kerr, S. Harkness, R. Pritchard, I. Chalmers, G. Wood, P. Young, G. Gass, M. Tweedie, M. Morrison, S. Hardie, C. Gass. Subs: C. Wood, K. Wemyss, F. Riddell.

Earlston Rhymers: L. Manderson, S. Quinn, S. Chapman, D. Henry, J. Ainslie, G. Watson, M. Edmison, C. Lothian, S. Hunter, N. Laidlaw, S. Kinghorn. Subs: K. Robertson, C. Bell.