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Although the time on the small match programme did say 7pm there was some confusion around Galashiels as the locals seemed to think it was a 7.30pm kick-off, the difference eventually being split as we got underway just after 7.15pm. That meaning there were still a few people in the crowd of 100 or so taking their seats as the Blues took the lead after 45 seconds.
Andy Cook, the talk of the bar at half-time, the man getting the goal glut going as he got on the end of strike-partner Ryan Bowman's flick-on from a Steven Swinglehurst ball down the left. Cook showing all his usual composure in front of goal as he raced in before lashing a left-footed 12-yard effort past the reach of lanky Gala goalkeeper Elliot Turnbull.
The home side were all at sea defensively in the opening period and after Gary McNulty had shot over for them after four minutes, Cook went close again in the eighth minute, the big striker making room for himself before lashing a shot inches above Turnbull's crossbar. He made no mistake with 16 minutes on the clock however when, after Jonny Blake's good run and pass in from the right, he hammered a left-footed drive home from the edge of the box.
The goals were now going in faster then we could note as Cook scored twice more in quickfire time just two minutes and then sixty seconds later. Bowman again doing some of the approach play as his flicked header found Cook racing through the middle again, the composure that has seen him score 83 times in the last two years once more showing as he finished calmly on his left boot from 15 yards out.
His fourth and Carlisle's fourth coming almost straight from the kick-off as an error by a hardworked Gala back-line allowed him to race onto Blake's pass and crack a right-footed shot across Turnbull and into the far corner from just inside the penalty area. Cook then nearly claiming his fifth in the 25th minute when he got on the end of Bowman's chargedown to hit a chipped effort just onto the roof of the net from 25 yards out.
Seconds later and Bowman got some reward for his efforts when, from Mark Gillespie's long goal-kick up, Cook this time got the flick-on for Bowman to run through and slide a 12-yard right-footed effort under the body of Turnbull. Bowman then grabbing his second goal on 28 minutes following a Cook pass, the YTS striker running in strongly from the left before hitting a right-footed 20-yarder low back into the near corner of the net.
Just after the half-hour mark and Gala had a rare shot when Jamie Gibson fired over from 25 yards out after a Tom Aldred mistake. Turnbull then back in action in the 33rd minute when he was forced to make an excellent save from Cook's close-range effort following Conor Tinnion's lovely run and cross in from the left.
Cook wasn't for being stopped though and he grabbed his fifth goal, and United's seventh of the evening, on 37 minutes. The best being saved for last as from Simon Lakeland's pass in from the right, Cook hammered an unstoppable curling first-time right-footed effort back in the same direction like an arrow into the far top corner of the net.
He was still gunning for goals in the 38th and 40th minutes too, the five-goal striker first slipping as he controlled a ball in on his chest, that slip seeing his ten-yard half-volley fly over, then manafacturing a 15-yard overhead kick for himself which was well caught by a backpedalling Turnbull. The last action of the half again coming the way of United when Taiwo's right-footed 20-yarder flashed wide of the target.
Gala made just one change at the break as Gareth Wood came on for McNulty, but it was back to normal in the 50th minute as a Lakeland cross for the Cumbrians came in from the right. It was slightly behind the rampaging Cook ten yards out though and he could only glance a header over the top.
Two minutes later the home side having perhaps their best chance to score when, with the ball bouncing around the Carlisle box, Paul Young could only lash a horrible shot miles wide of the target, his effort not exactly courting the love of the common people in the concrete bunker of a main stand.
Blues boss Eric Kinder used four of his five substitutes on the night bang on the hour-mark, Sean Law coming on in midfield for Taiwo, James Reid replacing Cook upfront, first-year YTS Ben McKenna coming on for Burns on the right of midfield, and finally James Wood replacing Livesey. The last change there seeing Swinglehurst move into centre-half and Wood enter the fray at left-back, Aldred now becoming the new captain.
The pace had slowed now after the frenetic first-half action, and it was Gillespie having to make a save on 62 minutes when he tipped wide a 25-yard effort from Young. The last Carlisle change in ranks then coming four minutes later when Matt Osmond came on for Tinnion on the left.
Gala were starting to have more attacks now and midway through the second period, following a misplaced Blake pass, Chris Anderson found Gillespie in good form as the United goalkeeper saved well from Anderson's 15-yard right-footed effort. A shot over from Gibson being another effort for the home side in the 73rd minute, that sandwiched between two substitutions in Ross Glass on for Young and Stevie Noble replacing Scott McKenzie.
The Cumbrians were soon back at it though and with 15 minutes to go Swinglehurst stuck a cross in from the left which Reid challenged for in the air with Turnbull. The Gala goalkeeper dropping the ball slightly behind the United striker who was just unable to find the target as he hooked a right-footed 15-yard effort into the side-netting.
It was 8-0 to Carlisle two minutes later though when Lakeland's knock into the box from the right was met by an excellently timed run of Osmond. The first-year YTS player notching his first United goal as he headed firmly back across Turnbull and into the corner of the net.
The next action of note was Andy Hardie coming for Hossack in the 81st minute for the home side, fellow substitute Glass then shooting well wide of the target shortly afterwards. Shane Green then firing one in from a 25-yard free-kick in the 85th minute only for the effort to go straight into the arms of Gillespie.
Bowman then had a good chance to get a hat-trick for Carlisle four minutes later, the young striker getting on the end of an Osmond ball over the top before easily rounding Turnbull ten yards out. He had tightened up the angle badly on himself though and he was only able to hit his left-footed strike into the side-netting from almost on the left-hand by-line.
Like the first-half, the last chance of the period, and thus the game, came United's way as we hit injury time, Lakeland hitting a righ-footed 22-yarder over the top from a partly cleared Carlisle corner. The final thing of note before the final whistle being an extremley late substitution as Anderson was replaced by Bob Noble for the home side.
Gala Fairydean line-up :
Elliot Turnbull, Scott McKenzie (Stevie Noble 73), Shane Green, Gary McNulty (Gareth Wood 46), John Waldie, Paul Young (Ross Glass 71), Chris Anderson (Bob Noble 90), Des Sutherland, Jamie Gibson, Paul Hossack (Andy Hardie 81), Michael Holmes.
Unused substitutes :
Gary Hay and Grant Robinson.
United line-up :
Mark Gillespie, Simon Lakeland, Steven Swinglehurst, Danny Livesey (James Wood 60), Tom Aldred, Michael Burns (Sean Law 60), Jonny Blake, Tom Taiwo (Ben McKenna 60), Andy Cook (James Reid 60), Ryan Bowman, Conor Tinnion (Matt Osmond 66).
Unused substitutes :
None.
Referee - George Salmond.
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