We started our pre-season programme with a comprehensive victory over Gala Fairydean Rovers of the Lowland Leauge at a sunny Netherdale in the Borders.

With a travelling squad of 22 players, all of whom featured, it gave the fans a look at our new signings, with Callum Crane, Chris Kane, Jonny Court, Jordan Sinclair and Alex Harris all featuring, with Court, Kane and Harris hitting the goals. Two trialists featured, with Ryan Adamson playing the last half hour in goals and Jack Duncan playing the first 45 minutes in central midfield.

The match was very much a training excerise but the pace and work-rate will have pleased the management team and in truth the scoreline could and should have been much more in City’s favour than the 3-0 suggested.

There were four missing players, with Blair Henderson, John Dunn and Danny Handling failing fitness tests and Keiron Stewart unavailable too.

On the basis of his electrifying second half introduction, the first man of the match for 2019/20 is Alex Harris.

Nest up we continue our preparations against a St Johnstone XI at the Oriam on Saturday afternoon.

#OurECFC

A cracking summer’s evening in the Borders saw James McDonaugh’s new-look City squad get it’s first run out. The majority of the new signings were involved with the exception of Robbie McIntyre and the match was played in a very competitive manner from the off, with both sets of players putting in some full-blooded challenges.

City struck first with a great low drive into the corner from debutant Allan Smith, who looked extremely lively, with powerful direct running throughout. City doubled their lead with Smith’s second, capitalising on a goalkeeping error near half-time.

The second half saw both sides making wholesale changes, with City giving a run out to a number of u20s, along with Dylan Burns and the returning Zack Karadachki, the latter having been out for nearly a year with a serious knee injury. Despite the changes City kept their quality high and extended their lead when Blair Henderson converted a penalty ten minutes into the second half. Gala played their part in this match and got a consolation goal of their own through Chris Mitchell, however City restored their three goal advantage when Graham Taylor converted a cross ball superbly into the far corner.

Overall an excellent start to the pre-season preparations, a number of very positive performances and a couple of really good finishes too. Of the absentees, Josh Walker is still recovering from some treatment on a knee injury that troubled him last season, while Robbie McIntyre, John Dunn and Calum Hall are yet to return from holiday.

Next up is another Lowland League outfit in Whitehill Welfare at Ainslie Park this coming Saturday.

Man-of-the-Match: Allan Smith