Edinburgh Uni 1

Gala FR 0

Liam Marshall

at Peffermill

GALA suffered late agony at Peffermill on Saturday to remain just above the bottom two in the table.

In a game of few chances it was the howling Arctic wind which dominated.

The first chance of the game fell the way of the visitors after seven minutes, with Grant Rose working himself some space 25 yards from goal, before firing high and wide of Mark Tait’s goal.

Gala could and perhaps should have taken the lead after 22 minutes, as the returning Rhys Craigie threaded a wonderful pass through for Sean Paliczka, but his shot was straight at the keeper.

The home side forced their own opportunity just after the half hour, with a quick short corner catching out the Fairydean Rovers defence and allowing Mark Gair to fire a stinging drive inches over the crossbar.

But Gala came within millimetres of edging ahead seven minutes into the second half, as Darren Smith’s corner was met by the onrushing Kieran Ainslie six yards out, but his header smashed agonisingly against the crossbar and over.

An even better chance presented itself to the visitors just two minutes later.

Rhys Craigie took the ball on the edge of his own box and drove 50 yards up the field, before squeezing it through again to Paliczka but his shot was too high.

Patrick Martin was forced into his first save of the game with 56 minutes on the clock as talented winger Rafa Calbacho found space on the edge of the Gala box to fire right down the throat of the on-loan Hibs keeper.

Gala began to throw everything at the game in the closing stages, and Sean Guiney’s teasing cross on 83 minutes was begging for a connection, but it flew inches over the head of striker Fraser Malcolm at the back post.

Martin almost had as assist to his name in the final minute of normal time, as his long ball was well controlled by Malcolm who drove into the box well, but he just couldn’t find space for a shot, and the ball was cleared.

It looked as though both teams were settling for a point when deep in stoppage time Nathan Evans found himself with an open goal at the back post following Mark Gair’s cross.

Gala Fairydean Rovers: Martin, Guiney, Aitchison, Ainslie, Craigie, Smith (Kelly 81), Miller, Paliczka, Rose (Malcolm 63), & Heugh.