And apart from having lost their three opening games of the season, the Albert Park club have yet to hit the net as well as having conceded a remarkable 23 goals.

A dreadful start to the new term it certainly has been, with one rock bottom display after another.

For the opening 45 minutes of this Woodside Park clash, Royalists looked as they could be making a go of matters.

Although not producing quality football, Royalists were defending well, getting on with the job in hand, and doing the simple things right.

In the second period, however, it all went wrong.

Lining up with a reshuffled defence that saw Keith Kettles replace trialist Greg Laidlaw, who had impressed in the Hawick rearguard, the Albert simply lost it.

Royalists crumpled, Kelso ruled, and hit home five goals in the process. And it was another soul destroying day for Hawick manager "Prof" Blaikie and his men.

Searching for their first win of the season, United fluffed an opportunity to take the lead in the second minute when Black sent a header wide of the post on meeting a cross from Pusledzki.

Having survived this scare, Royalists began to settle, and, on being fed by a Mikey Smith pass, David Knox drilled in a low shot which forced home keeper Turnbull into a diving save.

United replied with a move down the middle in which Burnett tucked a shot past advancing Albert keeper Scott Dowie.

Steven Wright, however, came to the Royalists' aid by racing back to clear just as the ball was about to cross the goal line.

With 33 minutes gone though, the Tweedsiders did open their account, when Burnett raced in from what appeared to be an offside position to fire past Dowie.

Royalists came rallying back and only misfortune prevented them from snatching an equaliser.

Knox threaded a pass to the feet of Smith, who beat Turnbull all the way with a thundering shot, only to see his effort rebound off the post.

Minutes into the second half, the Albert's march down hill began.
Dowie let a Burnett cross squirm from his grasp and the lurking Pusledzki was on the spot to net from close range.

This was to be the beginning of the end for the Royalists.

In the 57th minute Burnett put Kelso further ahead with a well hit free-kick, and four minutes later the big United striker completed his hat- trick with a rasping shot into the roof of the net.

The Albert were now completely at sea and with 65 minutes plunged into even deeper water.

A slick passing move tore a gap in a flopping Hawick defence and Ronnie polished matters off by scoring easily.

Royalists followed this up by introducing substitute Douglas Prowse for Kettles, who had been struggling since his arrival on the park at the beginning of the second half.

By this time, however, Kelso remained on top and with seven minutes remaining Burnett hit in his fourth goal of the afternoon.

Speaking of his side's performance, Albert coach Davie Aitken told the Hawick News: "It was another bad result for us. I thought we held our own in the first half, but in the second we were awful.

"Perhaps the wrong substitution was made at half-time as it sure didn't work for us in defence with the change being made.

"Our heads went down when Kelso scored their second goal, and a few of our players need to stand up and be counted."

Royal Albert: Dowie, Cooper, Campbell, Wright, Laidlaw (Kettles) (Prowse), Stavert, G. Knox, clark, Owens, Smith, D. Knox. Subs not used: Rayson, Urey, Raeburn.