Match Preview – Scotland Double Header

By Andrew McDonnell (@AndrewSJourno)

Pre-Season Friendly v Hawick Royal Albert

Venue: Albert Park, Mansfield Road, Hawick, TD9 8AW

Date: Friday 15 July 2016

Kick-Off: 19:45

Pre-Season Friendly v Gala Fairydean Rovers

Venue: Netherdale, Nether Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HE

Date: Saturday 16 July 2016

Kick-Off: 14:00

Team/ Score Updates

Twitter: @MTFC_Media

Managers Notes – Dave Malone

We are looking forward to the games, again, it was a great run out last Saturday and we look to carry that on again this weekend.

Fitness, that’s the biggest thing, good results as well because winning brings good habits and most of all for the lads to gel together and get to know each other a bit better.

Results do matter in a way, but the first thing you have to do is get good fitness out of these games and you definitely look to come out with good results, I’d be lying if I said we’d be happy if we got beat.

To be honest, I don’t know a lot about them, but they are both in the same league as Dalbeattie Star, who we played last year and that was a great game.

We have looked at their results from last year and they look decent outfits.

Whenever you go up to Scotland, they are always ahead of you in pre-season and they’re always tough teams.

The squad is a lot better than last week, number wise, we are taking 16 up for the Friday night match and 16 on the Saturday with different players coming for each day, and also three goalkeepers.

Michael Chilton is back this weekend, Liam Henderson is too, so that’s two centre-forwards coming in, but Steven Anderson looks like he will be missing.

Ben Sayer is missing, Shaun Bell is not there, so the holiday times do interfere with pre-season, but when you only get five to six weeks break from last season, it is understandable.