Hawick Royal Albert 1
Peebles Rovers 3
EOS FIRST DIVISION
JOHN SLORANCE reports from Albert Park
Before the game began Peebles Rovers had their problems due to having a depleted squad.
After the game it was Hawick Royal Albert, however, who had the problems.
What’s more they were big ones, for not only did the Albert Park outfit give a rock bottom show, their discipline was rock bottom as well in having Ronald Fleming and Greg Young both sent off in the second half.
Rovers manager Jason Girdwood was delighted about his side’s second league win of the season and told The Southern: “It was a very important win for us as we really needed the points and getting them has really moved us up the league. It was a well deserved win as we put a lot into the game and got the rewards. I was very pleased with our attitude and the way we performed, especially as we had a few players missing”.
Hawick coach Owen Murphy commented: “We shot ourselves in the foot in having two guys sent off. You can’t expect to win games with only nine men. It was a game which I felt we could have got full points from, but we sure didn’t.”
Peebles took the lead in the eighth minute when Craig Edgar drilled home a perfectly taken penalty after Ronald Fleming had fouled Nicky Cairns.
Hawick came bouncing back and within six minutes got on level terms. Declan Hogg flicked a pass to the feet of Bobby Nwanze and the one-time Peebles signing rattled a shot into the back of the net.
Although the action was keen, neither side were making much impact in the way of entertaining football and a third goal did not arrive until the 57th minute. After breaking through on his own, Gareth Manson drove in a shot that diving Hawick keeper, Ross Taylor did well to parry. The ball, however, broke back to the Peebles man, who fired home.
On the hour mark, Hawick were reduced to 10 men when Fleming was dismissed for the fourth time this season for a lunging two-footed tackle, and within eight minutes, Hawick lost Greg Young who was sent for an early shower for a second bookable offence.
In the 73rd minute James McQuinnie rubbed further salt in Hawick’s wounds in finding the net with superbly struck 35-yard drive.
Hawick Royal Albert: R. Taylor, I. Zenati, G. Ramsay (S. Drummond), G. Young, S. Fallon, R. Fleming, K. McCulloch, C. Beattie, J. Paterek (M. King), B. Nwanze, D. Hogg.
Peebles Rovers: S. Gordon, D. Linton, J. McQuinnie, G. Shortreed (P. Hunter), G. Young, J. Manson, J. Adamson, M. Mackenzie, C. Edgar, N. Cairns, G. Manson (M. Whyte).