Change of opposition as Vale of Leithen conclude pre-season campaign with 3-0 defeat at Craigroyston

The East of Scotland Football League first division conference A side weren’t the opposition the Borderers had been expecting to face in Edinburgh, having stepped in at short notice after Leith Athletic pulled out of the match they’d had arranged the day before due to injuries having rendered too many of their players unavailable.

JP McLennan, Matty Hunter and James Smith were on target for the capital outfit, with their Innerleithen visitors failing to summon up a reply.

That match followed another in the city the Tuesday before, a 1-1 draw against EoSFL first division conference B team Edinburgh South, with Martin Brogan supplying Vale’s goal.

Those two trips to the capital concluded a pre-season campaign beginning with a 2-2 draw away to Arniston Rangers and continuing with a 2-1 home win against Hawick Royal Albert United, 4-2 victory against Peebles Rovers at Victoria Park and 4-0 home defeat by Cumbernauld United.

They’ll be hoping for better fortune than they enjoyed against United on July 3 against another North Lanarkshire side once the next Scottish Lowland Football League season starts this coming Saturday, July 17, as Cumbernauld Colts are their first opponents. That’s a home game kicking off at 3pm.

Next up after that are two away-days, at East Stirlingshire on Wednesday, July 21, and BSC Glasgow on Saturday, July 24.