East Stirlingshire 0

Gala Fairydean Rovers 3

Robert Fairburn

at Falkirk Stadium

GALA Fairydean Rovers produced their best performance of the season on Saturday with a comfortable three goal victory over East Stirlingshire at the Falkirk Stadium.

It was a deserved three points for the visitors who started brightly and should have been ahead in five minutes when Ruari Paton was sent clean through only to be foiled by a good save by Jamie Barclay.

But the on-loan Hibs striker found the net in the 18th minute when he scored from close range after Barclay had parried a shot by Josh Morris.

Gala took a strong grip on the game after that and could easily have added to their goal tally before the interval.

As expected East Stirlingshire stepped up a gear at the start of the second half but struggled to make any headway against the Gala defence

well-marshalled by Ricky Miller who never put a foot wrong in the entire 90 minutes.

Morris should have put Dean Shanks' team two goals in front when he went clean through but Barclay again saved his side diving low to his left.

Barclay produced another fabulous save at point blank range from a Miller header as Gala began to wonder if they were going to rue missing so many chances.

But after 63 minutes Gala scored a deserved second goal.

Dale Baxter produced some excellent wing play down the left and his low cross was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Graeme MacGregor although Morris seemed certain to score if the defender had not intervened.

Shire were restricted to long range efforts which were comfortably dealt with by keeper Patrick Martin.

But the home side thought they had pulled one back when Andy Rodgers eluded the offside trap.

But he somehow headed inches wide from close range.

The points were wrapped up in the 74th minute when a bullet header by Miller from a Baxter corner found the roof of the net.

Manager Shanks said: "I thought the boys were tremendous today."

Gala FR: Patrick Martin, Daryl Johnston, Scott Main (K Ainslie 71), Ricky Miller, Kieran Watson, Sean Conaghan (S Cunningham 89), Dale Baxter, Sean McKirdy (D Smith 53), Josh Morris, Ruari Paton & Tommy Patterson.