Gala Hotspur 2

Leithen Rovers 2

Finlay Muir at the Public Park

LEITHEN Rovers picked up there first point of the season on Saturday away to Gala Hotspur but left Public Park wondering how they weren’t able to take all three back up the road to Innerleithen.

Rovers missed chance after chance throughout the game and in truth the scoreline could, and maybe should, have been into double figures.

Rovers went into the game missing several key players including captain Steven Fleming through injury, midfielder Cammy Mackie, and former Peebles Ams captain Finlay Muir through suspension.

Manager Chris Wilson start at centre back and his newly appointment assistant Craig Entwistle return from his suspension to slot into the centre of midfield.

Rovers were on top from the start and the first clear chance fell to left winger Connor Brunton.

Wilson dinked a ball over Hotspur's ageing right back Sam Burton which was met on the volley by Brunton but his shot was just too high.

The next chance happened in very similar fashion, a ball played in behind for Brunton but his tame shot was easily saved by the keeper.

The last sentence could be repeated 5 more times in this report such was the volume of easy chances missed by Connor Brunton.

To be fair to Brunton he did set up several chances for his teammates to likewise miss, and after 35 minutes he delivered a perfect cross onto the head of Liam Rutherford, the big striker somehow managed to aim wide.

Gala Hotspur did manage to create one chance just before half time which called for a smart save from keeper Andrew Mackenzie to ensure the teams went in goalless.

The introduction of Rovers substitutes led to the chances starting again after the hour. Jamie King replaced Rutherford up front and Angus Gillie went into midfield after coming on for Wilson.

Gillie was making his first appearance of the season and was the best player on the park for the half an hour he played, driving the team forward from midfield.

On 75 minutes a powerful Kobe Stevens freekick flew just wide before the same player smashed the post with a low drive.

However the deadlock was broken three minutes later when the ball found its way to the feet of Angus Gillie six yards out to score.

Rovers lead was very short lived as two minutes later Hotspur equalised. Mackenzie was judged by the referee to have held the ball for too long in his hands and an indirect freekick was given just inside the box, which was duly laid off and hammered into the net.

Again within two minutes Rovers found themselves behind in a game that they should have had finished by half time.

A poor pass from David Meldrum went straight to a Hotspur forward whose shot turned out to be a perfect cross for his portly strike partner to pass into the empty net.

Like the previous weekend Rovers found themselves going behind very late in the game but unlike last week they manage to secure an equaliser. Right back Andrew Gillie swung a deep cross into the Hotspur box and somehow King managed to leap above the opposition keeper to flick the ball into the net.

Rovers know this was a big opportunity for their first win of the season but will now travel away to Biggar tomorrow to try to secure three points.

Leithen Rovers: A.MacKenzie, Andrew Gillie, M.Craig, C.Wilson (Angus Gillie), K.Stevens, A.Edmiston, C.Entwistle, C.Brunton, D.Rice, D.Meldrum (M.Aitken), L.Rutherford (J.King)