Gala Fairydean Rovers 1

BSC Glasgow 3

David Knox

at Netherdale

FAIRYDEAN Rovers manager Dean Shanks was given an end-of-season reminder on Saturday of what is required if he’s to turn the Netherdale club into genuine challengers.

Although the home players did rally in the second half and perhaps on another day could have sneaked a result, they were second best for long periods against the team who finished runners-up in the league.

And Shanks is under no illusions that his summer signings will be key to improving on this season’s eighth place finish.

He told us: “We created a few chances today but overall BSC were worthy winners.

“We’ve done a lot of work already behind the scenes for next season and we’re hoping to create a winning mentality in the dressing room.

“We have a handful of players lined up and the majority of this season’s squad have new contracts, so it’s looking positive going forward.

“Eighth in the table is top half – and that’s with losing our first five games – but we want to be and need to be a team challenging inside that top six.”

Top of Shanks’ shopping list will be finding a replacement for Hibernian loanee keeper Patrick Martin, who has earned himself a two-year contract at Easter Road.

Martin made a few outstanding saves during the first half as BSC mounted several waves of attacks.

But there was little the 19-year-old could do as Thomas Orr smashed Martin Grehan’s lay-off into the far corner of the net in the 25th minute.

Gala had relied on counter attacking throughout the opening half with Tommy Patterson posing the biggest threat down the left flank with his pace and dangerous crosses.

But the best home chance of the half came in the final minute as Pat Scullion headed a Scott-Taylor Mackenzie freekick inches over the bar.

Gala enjoyed their brightest spell of the match after the interval – and for 20 minutes they had the visitors on the ropes.

Patterson twice rifled the ball across the face of goal with neither Ruari Paton or Blake Wales able to connect.

And Phil Addison headed a Mackenzie corner inches wide of the far post.

Only a tremendous recovery tackle inside the area from Ross McMillan prevented Addison equalising on the hour.

But BSC went even closer in the 66th minute as Grehan showed great balance and skill to weave through the defence and rattle the inside of the post with an angled drive.

Just a few minutes later Orr made it 2-0 with a tidy finish from the edge of the area.

The home team responded well with Patterson forcing a good save from Ryan Marshall, and Addison delighting the crowd with a tremendous flick over a defender to volley ferociously just wide.

It was Addison’s trickery that led to Gala’s goal in the 84th minute. The former Selkirk striker somehow managed to escape the attentions of two defenders on the byline to cross for Paton at the back post.

But the comeback was short-lived as Orr completed his hat-trick with a tremendous low shot just three minutes later.

Gala Fairydean Rovers. P Martin, R Donaldson, P Scullion, R Miller, K Watson, D Baxter (S Robertson 78), S-T Mackenzie, R Paton, B Wales (D Bell 88), T Patterson & P Addison.