Threave hit Nithsdale for six

Jan 10 2013 by Andrew McNair, Galloway News

Threave Rovers got their year off to the perfect start with a 6-0 hammering of Nithsdale Wanderers.

The title challengers were two up in the first 10 minutes and led 4-0 at the break against the Sanquhar side.

Jamie Struthers added two in the second half to give himself another hat-trick and the Threave top scorer has now netted 20 goals this term.

Keith Knox had Liam Patterson returning to the side at Meadow Park and Nithsdale included three former Castle Douglas players Martin Bell, Mark McGinley and Geoff Patterson.

But they could not do anything to stop the steam roller that is this current Rovers side as the home team took the lead after just two minutes.

A Scott Wilby cross was laid off by Shaun Milligan and Struthers did the rest.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 when a corner by Wilby was forced into the net by Darren Kerr.

The home side scored their third of a bad-tempered first half when a Struthers header rebounded off the post and landed at the feet of Milligan who made no mistake. And the striker had made it two before the break - chipping the Nithsdale keeper to send Threave in 4-0 to the good at the break.

Keith Knox shuffled his back at half time making three changes at the break.

Patterson didn’t appear for the second half and Grant Watson fitted in to the defence and the manager also gave Phil Middlemiss and Danny Dunlingson some game time when they replaced Milligan and Russel Parker.

Things got worse for Nithsdale when they were reduced to ten and Sam Warren intercepted a ball and passed to free scoring Struthers who ran on and scored.

Threave completed the scoring in the 88th minute when a Sam Warren cross was hit home by Struthers to complete his hat-trick and give him his 20th goal of the season.

This Saturday the Castle Douglas side travel to Fleet Star for a match in the Potts Cup.