Selkirk 1

Civil Service Strollers 3

David Knox

at Yarrow Park

PLAYERS, coaches and officials at Selkirk face a nervous few weeks as their Lowland League future is decided.

For the fourth game in a row Ian Fergus’ team gave up a lead and failed to climb away from the bottom two places in the table.

Saturday’s defeat, with Hawick winning midweek, has left them second bottom and a possibility of relegation if Highland champions Buckie Thistle can reach League Two –with the team coming down will need to be accommodated in the Lowland League.

Manager Fergus now hopes Lowland champions East Kilbride will bail his team out.

He said: “Today has been the same story as of recent weeks where we take the momentum in a game and take the lead but we don’t capitalise and we fall backwards as the games progress.

“It is now out of our hands but East Kilbride are a strong side and they are geared to go up.

“Highland League teams are strong as well but I’m hoping East Kilbride will be good enough and do us a favour.

“I’m preparing for next season in the Lowland League and I’ll be looking to bring in players who can supplement the squad.

“We will do an early pre-season to make sure we are a much better team next season.”

Civil opened brightly at Yarrow Park with Steven Froud firing inches over and Jordan Finnie being denied by a goal-saving challenge from Ricky Miller.

But the home side grew into the game with Unpha Koroma twice forcing good saves from Stuart Burnside with powerful volleys.

The former Stoke City player also fired inches past the upright with another powerful effort just before the break.

Selkirk’s momentum continued after half time with Ross King drilling a shot inches wide from 20 yards.

And Jordan Hopkinson should have done better than volley into the arms of Burnside when latching onto a ball over the top.

But Civil continued to pose a danger and it took a tremendous save from Gregor Amos to keep out a Froud header approaching the hour.

Selkirk made the breakthrough moments later as Hopkinson was tugged back inside the area by Andy Mair. Miller despatched the penalty.

With news filtering through from Falkirk that Hawick were three goals down, there was optimism circulating around Yarrow Park.

But, in what has been the story of recent weeks, Selkirk couldn’t see out the game.

On 72 minutes Strollers played their way through a static-looking defence for Froud to score from 12 yards.

Just two minutes later Ian Ballantyne’s scuffed shot clipped the post as the home defence went missing again.

They were punished further on 75 minutes as Andrew Fleming was harshly judged to have tripped Jordan Finnie inside the area. Jack Downie converted the penalty to make it 2-1.

Selkirk almost levelled when Hopkinson’s back post header was tipped onto the bar.

And moments later Phil Addison narrowly failed to convert a tremendous Collins Ugochukwu cross from 10 yards.

With Selkirk players thrown forward Froud took full advantage to break away in the 87th minute and make sure of the points for Strollers.

Selkirk. G Amos, R Sclater, M Christie, J Hopkinson, A Fleming, R Miller, R King, G Nicholson (E Valtka 56), C Ugochukwu, P Addison & U Koroma.