Peeblesshire News | Sport | First in three thanks to Vale's star striker

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 1st February, 2008 12:30

First in three thanks to Vale's star striker

By Dave Ryce

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Vale of Leithen 5, Hawick Royal Albert 1

THIS was a Borders derby between a team whose luck may be about to change, and one whose luck really should.

Vale notched their first victory in three months, mainly thanks to a hat-trick from striker Aaron Somerville.

He appears to be regaining the swaggering confidence he had while tormenting defences in the Border Amateur League last season.

Royal Albert remain a bit of an enigma.

Their work-ethic and the attitude in which they play the game is beyond reproach, but basic errors seem to be their undoing.

Vale took the lead after half an hour when Somerville won a battle for the ball with Royalists’ Ian Turnbull and turned inside to fire home.

There was no further scoring during the first half, but the beginning of the second saw a blitz of goals – four coming in a six minute spell.

It started with a Hawick equaliser. Alan Campbell’s cross deflected off Vale captain Campbell Forsyth into the path of Barry Shiel, who pounced on the ball to provide an emphatic finish.

But Vale responded immediately to retake the lead.

A Raymond Fleming shot was partially blocked by Malcolm Cooper, the ball looping into the air and coming down kindly for Somerville, who dispatched it into the net.

Three minutes later, Vale pulled further ahead when Ronald Fleming’s in-swinging corner crept inside the back post.

Albert defender Campbell hooked the ball clear, but referee John Weir was well enough positioned to rule that the ball had already crossed the goal-line.

The Hawick players were less than happy about the award, but there was no doubting Vale’s fourth goal a couple of minutes later as Ronald Fleming found himself through in plenty of space to run on and calmly finish.

Hawick had little option but to push up in a bid to salvage something from the match.

But Vale’s policy of providing their pacy front men with early passes meant that the Royalists found their defence stretched time and again.

In the absence of Vale’s regular keeper Mark Wilson after his red card against Kelso last week, the home side turned to Penicuik’s Bob Hall.

With his shirt untucked and socks half-way down his calves, he certainly appeared straight from the Neville Southall school of sartorial elegance.

However, any comparison with the Everton legend must end there, with several fumbles and spills giving the Royalists hope of breaching the Vale defence again.

It was a contrasting story at the other end.

Despite the amount of times he has to pick the ball out the net, there can’t be a better shot-stopper in the league than Scott Dowie.

The big goalkeeper pulled off several fantastic saves to thwart the in-form Somerville.

The pick of the bunch was a superb dive to turn away a shot threaded through a group of players that he must have seen late.

Ultimately, there was to be no denying Somerville his treble, as three minutes from the end he was picked out by Greig Shortreed with an inch perfect pass and ran on to finish superbly.

Vale of Leithen: R. Hall; S. Wishart, Ross McManus, R. Alexander, C. Forsyth, S. Notman (Ryan McManus 69), Ray Fleming, Ron Fleming (P. Shearlaw 64), M. MacKale (C. Smith 61), A. Somerville, G. Shortreed.

Hawick Royal Albert: S. Dowie; S. Inglis, A. Campbell, I. Turnbull, M. Cooper, B. Stavert, S. Noble, C. Elliot, D. Stavert, B. Shiel (K. Rowley 78), D. Fry (M. Moir 59).

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