Gaffer hoping Hawick Royal Albert's first victory of new football season will be on way soon as winless streak reaches eight games

Hawick Royal Albert captain Andy Common vying for possession with Newburgh Juniors striker Cai MacDonald (Photo: Jez Grimwood/J19 Photography)

Hawick Royal Albert are still waiting, eight games in, for their first win of the new East of Scotland Football League second division season, but manager Kenny Aitchison is hoping it won’t be too far away as he reckons they’re improving all the time.

The Borderers had their sixth defeat of the campaign inflicted on them away to Newburgh Juniors on Saturday, going down 4-1 in Fife, but that scoreline was anything but a fair reflection of the game, according to Aitchison.

Owen Renton put Albert’s only goal of the game past home keeper David Chalmers from the penalty spot on 68 minutes, with their hosts netting past visiting goalie Jason Ingles via captain Andrew Cameron on 32 minutes, Cai MacDonald on 44, Kellar Harris on 74 and substitute Hamid Eddouss on 88.

That result leaves Albert bottom of their 18-team division with two points, though they’ve got three games in hand on second-bottom Lochgelly Albert, currently on five points from 11 games, and four on third-bottom Ormiston Primrose, also on five points.

Hawick Royal Albert's Tom Fowler putting a tackle in against Newburgh Juniors on Saturday (Photo: Jez Grimwood/J19 Photography)

“The same things are happening week in, week out,” said Aitchison. “Silly errors cost us the game really.

“We were good in lots of areas. We showed a bit of development in the way we attacked and made chances. We were just unfortunate not to convert most of them.

“I was really impressed with the way we started. I think if we can repeat the way we created opportunities, I can see us scoring a lot more goals, and that’s all you can ask for.”

Albert take a break from league action this coming Saturday for a second-round South Challenge Cup tie away to West Lothian’s Fauldhouse United, with kick-off at 2.30pm, and Aitchison is looking forward to that as an opportunity to try out a more adventurous approach.

Hawick Royal Albert being beaten 4-1 by Fife's Newburgh Juniors at the weekend (Photo: Jez Grimwood/J19 Photography)

“There’s less at stake if we get beat so we can take more risks in that game,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to it. We played Fauldhouse in pre-season and they beat us 2-0 but we were very competitive in that game and I think we’ve improved since then. It’ll be good to play them in a more competitive environment and see where we’re at.

“They’re a division below us but it’s a very, very tough league they’re in, so it’s a good level of opposition to see where we’re at.”