Gala Fairydean Rovers 2

Dalbeattie Star 2

Liam Marshall

at Netherdale

GALA Fairydean Rovers left it late to salvage a draw from a tempestuous game at the 3G Arena, with both teams finishing the game with ten men, albeit for wildly different reasons.

Steven Noble's team dug deep to come from two goals down and take a point which could prove crucial come the end of the season.

As the home side stumbled out of the blocks, Dalbeattie took full advantage by taking the lead through Tommy Muir in just the third minute.

Muir, who had scored a hat-trick the previous week, headed well from a corner to beat Lewis Muir in the Gala goal.

Gala did rally with Craig Heugh firing a warning shot over the top of Vincent Parker’s goal on 20 minutes.

Midfielder Fraser Neave worked some space for himself five minutes later, but Parker was equal to his drive from the edge of the box.

The visitors stretched their lead further just after the half hour.

And it was Muir again who was on target.

An excellent cross was swung in from the left by Lewis Sloan for Muir to connect well with his head at the back post.

Just a minute before the break, the game changed as Gala keeper went to collect inside his area, striker Muir lunged in and connected with his head.

Keeper Lewis Muir had to be replaced by defender Sean Guiney between the sticks due to fears over concussion.

And striker Tommy Muir was given a straight red card.

Gala managed to turn the game around against 10-man Star in the second half.

Recently signed winger Liam Chambers put in a good performance on his debut, with his powerful running helping to break down a regimented Dalbeattie defence.

Gala dragged themselves back into the match ten minutes into the second period, with Kieran Ainslie connecting with Darren Smith’s corner at the back post.

Chambers made himself a few inches of space on the edge of the box on 73 minutes, but his rasping drive whistled a few feet wide of the goal.

The referee evened up the game with just three minutes left of normal time, with Scott Main sent off following a tangle of legs as Star tried to counter Gala and seal the points.

The red appeared to be for a professional foul, although many inside the ground will argue that there were multiple covering defenders.

The home side weren’t disheartened by the sending off, and they could have equalised on 90 minutes through young striker Fraser Malcolm, but his strike was held by Parker.

However, Dalbeattie’s repeated time-wasting was to be their undoing, with referee Kevin Lindsay electing to play nine minutes of stoppage time, and Gala took full advantage.

Malcolm took a long ball from Guiney and drove into the box where he was chopped down by Parker.

Smith showed nerves of steel to roll the ball beyond the keeper from the penalty spot and claim a crucial point.

Gala Fairydean Rovers: Muir (Malcolm 45), Guiney, Main, Aitchison, Miller (Kelly 78), Smith, Heugh, Rose, Neave (Chambers 40) & Paliczka.