Stephen Gallacher horribly dropped four shots over his last four holes to lose sight of a jam-packed leader-board at the Oman Open.

Gallacher was clearly bitterly disappointed in posting a very disappointing third round ‘moving day’ two-over par 74 and fall from a one-stroke lead through five holes and back into a share of 12^th place at seven-under par in Muscat.

Six players – Finland’s 21-year old Tour rookie Sami Valimaki (64) and compatriot Mikko Korhonen (65) along with South African Brandon Stone (69), Dutchman Joost Luiten (67) and Dane Rasmus Hojgaard (70).

Luiten, 34 seeks what would be a seventh Tour victory and a first since 2018 in winning the inaugural staging of the event.

Scottish fans will remember Shinkwin as having gone into the final round of the 2016 Scottish Open leading by a shot only to take a bogey at the 72^nd hole and lose by a stroke to Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello at Dundonald Links.

Stevie Gallacher led the field after just two holes before a very disappointing four closing holes

Shinkwin’s third round was a mix of seven birdies but for a second day running he made a mess of the last.

The Watford golfer’s shot into 18 on Friday that bounced three times off the rocks along the foreshore has attracted 35.2K hits on the Tour’s twitter account in taking a double-bogey ‘6’.

Shrinkin then ended day three with a bogey.

He said:  “It is quite easy now to go out there and force the situation, so all I can do is let it happen and hope for the best and that my experience from previous years can help me shoot a score tomorrow that’s good enough to win.”

Gallacher, 45 headed into round sharing the lead at nine-under par but then found his way into the lead thanks to birdies at the second, and then for a second day running he walked off with a birdie on five.

However, the birdies dried-up on the course spectacularly laid-out along the Sea of Oman and with Gallacher slowly slipping down the board with nine straight pars.

A bogey at 15 then saw the Bathgate pro drop to a share of sixth but still only a shot from the front.

Gallacher found a greenside bunker at the par-5 16^th in taking par but then missed a makeable birdie putt on 17 before committing the cardinal sin of finding the Sea of Oman with his drive off the last.

There was further agony, and after a superb fourth shot to just four-feet, when he horribly missed the putt in taking a double-bogey ‘6’.

Gallacher is looking to become the first Scot to win on Tour since his own victory 11 months ago at the Hero Indian Open.

Fellow Scots Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest and Drumoig’s Connor Syme each signed for 69s for four-under par totals and head to the last day sharing 29^th place.