Selkirk 5

Whitehill Welfare 1

David Knox at Yarrow Park

DESPITE a five-star opening to the season Selkirk boss Ian Fergus admitted he was far from happy with his side’s 2017/18 debut in the Lowland League.

Daryl Healy netted his first hat-trick for the club with Phil Addison and Sean McKirdy also getting in on the scoring act during Saturday’s victory.

But at the final whistle the manager was quick to point out a few periods of sub-standard performance.

Fergus told us: “We had a fabulous pre-season, not just with the results but the manner of our performances.

“The boys did well again today but I was disappointed with losing the goal in the manner we did and also how we allowed things to get scrappy at times. We didn't really do that during our pre-season games.

“It maybe says more about how much we’ve progressed than anything else, but I’m not entirely satisfied and I know we can play a lot better.”

Heavy showers and swirling winds didn’t provide the ideal setting for Selkirk’s first competitive match of the season.

But they still showed plenty of early purpose with Sean Muhsin twice going close in the opening ten minutes.

Phil Addison had also stung the palms of Billy Taylor during the busy early stages.

The opener arrived on 14 minutes with Daryl Healy pouncing on defender Kerr Dodds’ chest down to side foot beyond the visiting keeper.

Whitehill did battle their way back into the game with Jack Wright showing up well in midfield.

And the work rate should maybe have led to an equaliser as Hamish Hunter fired wildly over at the back post in the 20th minute.

But Selkirk were soon on top again.

A Dan Greig long throw wasn’t cleared properly and Addison took full advantage by dancing through a challenge to slam a low shot into the far corner.

The former Hibernian striker should have made it 3-0 just four minutes later but he couldn’t convert Healy’s low cross at the back post as the ball got stuck under his feet - and a follow up turn and shot whistled past the post.

Addison also curled a shot inches past the other upright as half time approached.

But just seconds before the interval Gregor Amos had to make a good front post save to deny Kyle Mitchell and maintain his team’s two-goal advantage.

Selkirk began the second half just like the first with good movement and impressive link up play.

Addison twice had shots just off target and Ricky Miller headed a Murray Christie corner onto the roof of the net with Taylor beaten.

The third goal arrived just before the hour with Addison showing the trickery which has made him a firm fans’ favourite at Yarrow Park, to race away from the defence. His cut back to Muhsin was squared to Healy for a simple tap in.

It should have been game over – but back came the Rosewell side.

And they were rewarded with Mitchell capitalising on a rare defensive mix-up between Greig and Miller to pull a goal back.

The introduction of Scott Gormley gave the visitors a further boost and for a brief ten minutes they tested the home defence.

But Selkirk were solid and soon began to stamp their authority once more.

Taylor made an amazing one-handed save to deny Jordan Hopkinson on 77 minutes. And from the resultant Gary Nicholson corner Greig clattered the bar with a powerful header.

The three goal lead was restored in the 85th minute as Healy raced onto a through ball to calmly chip the keeper from 15 yards.

And there was still time for McKirdy to collect a loose ball on the edge of the area to smash home a fifth.

Selkirk. G Amos, R Donaldson, A Fleming, R Miller, D Greig, M Christie (J Hopkinson 67), S Muhsin, D Healy (L Turkington 87), P Addison (G Nicholson 73), D Banjo & S McKirdy.