GFR 2
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY 3
FERRARI PACKING LOWLAND LEAGUE
Gala Fairydean Rovers fell to another disappointing home defeat to Edinburgh University on Saturday, despite the best efforts of veteran striker Stuart Noble, who’s two goals from the bench so nearly rescued a draw for the home side. The visitors started the game on the front foot with Lewis Muir forced into a wonderful save on seven minutes to deny Jack Guthrie from six yards. He was again called into action nine minutes later getting down well to block another Guthrie effort, this time from the edge of the box. Both keepers were playing well and Callum Davison in the Uni goal produced a fine stop to deny what looked a certain goal from twenty yards for Rhys Craigie. While the keepers may have dominated the first half, the second period was to be a very different story with both teams eager to get the three points. Edinburgh Uni game out flying for the second half and capitalised on some lacklustre defending to hit the front on forty-nine minutes, albeit in controversial circumstances. A corner from the right wasn’t fully cleared and Rafa Calbacho’s looping header back across goal fell perfectly three yards out for Nathan Evans who emphatically scissor-kicked the ball home. Stuart Noble entered the fray on fifty-five minutes with winger Sean Paliczka injured. It wouldn’t take him long to get involved with Rhys Craigie playing a slide-rule pass through to put him one-on-one with Davison and there was only going to be one winner as Noble calmly swept the ball home just five minutes after his introduction. The lead wouldn’t last however, with Evans once again allowed the freedom of Netherdale to fire his second in after seventy-three minutes. GFR hit back almost immediately with Rhys Craigie showing good strength to hold off three defenders and roll the ball to Noble twenty five yards out, he only had one thing on his mind and his powerful shot took a wicked deflection off one of the massed bodies around the box, totally wrong footing Davison who could count himself unlucky. Unhappy with a draw, both teams gave it everything in the last fifteen minutes and it paid off for the visitors on eighty-one minutes. The Fairydean Rovers defence fell asleep and allowed the ball to drop two yards out for striker Joe Boyle to slot home with keeper Muir stranded. GFR: Muir, Miller ©, Aitchison, Guiney (Rose 87’), Main, Heugh (Neave 79’), Smith, Watson, Craigie, Gullan, Paliczka (Noble 55’).