There was to be no dream start for Hawick Royal Albert in their opening Lowland League game of the season. It turned out to be a nightmare.
Kenny Aitchison’s new-look team were never at the races at Ainslie Park and blasted out of sight by a slick, well-organised Spartans side who ruled throughout.
Aitchison took this heavy defeat on the chin and told The Hawick Paper: “We knew we were going to be up against it as we couldn’t have got a tougher opening match than against Spartans.
“In all honesty I didn’t expect us to win as we are a complete new side that is full of untried players, while Spartans are a team who know each other well and have a lot of experience. We were well beaten and could have lost by more goals.
“I am well aware that we have a lot of improving to do. This will take time though and I am looking to bringing in more new faces to strengthen the squad.”
The downhill ride began as early as the eighth minute when Jamie Dishington took advantage of some poor defending to tuck away an Alan Brown cross.
This was to be the beginning of the end for the Albert Park outfit.
Apart from Ali Simpson heading a Declan Hogg cross wide, Royalists were never a threat for the remainder of the first half.
In the 27th minute Spartans went further ahead. Craig Stevenson swung a cross over the face of the goalmouth and Dishington brought about the finishing touch for his second.
With 33 minutes gone Ross Allum put the hosts further ahead. Albert trialist goalkeeper Chris Scott then kept Spartans at bay in pulling off saves from Allum and Ross Guthrie.
After Brown had rattled a shot against the post in the opening stages of the second period, Allum put Royalists into further arrears in darting through the middle to round Scott and score in the 53rd minute.
It was one-way traffic for the remainder of the game and Spartans added to their tally with strikes from Blair Atkinson, Dachi Khutsishvili and Michael Herd.
HAWICK ROYAL ALBERT: Scott, Muttit, Knox, Trialist, Spence, Burns, Cairns, Hogg, Trialist, Simpson, Peddie. Subs: Thomson, Rose, Clunie, O’Brien, O’Donnell, Summers.
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