Coldstream and Hawick Royal Albert both on the up

Division two table-toppers Coldstream drew 1-1 away to fourth-placed Kennoway Star Hearts to secure their return to division one after going down in 2023.

That result edges manager David Brown’s Streamers a point ahead of second-placed West Calder United, out of action at the weekend but due to play Kinnoull away this Wednesday, with the Borderers on 50 points from 26 fixtures and their West Lothian title rivals on 49 from 23 prior to their midweek trip to Perth.

James Paxton scored Coldstream’s only goal at Treaton Park at the weekend just ahead of the hour mark, cancelling out Aaron Ramage’s 24th-minute opener for their hosts.

Their two-game run-in to the end of the season concludes with a reverse fixture hosting Kennoway at Home Park on Saturday, May 16, following on from an away-day at basement side Stirling University the Saturday prior, both 2.30pm kick-offs.

Division three league leaders Hawick Royal Albert were also on the road in Fife on Saturday, earning a return to the division above with a 5-4 victory away to Newburgh Juniors.

That 18th win of the season takes manager Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists five points clear of Stoneyburn, 1-0 losers away to third-placed Edinburgh United at the same time, in pole position.

They’re now on 55 points from 26 fixtures, with Stoneyburn on 50 from 26, Edinburgh United on 47 from 26 and fourth-placed Newburgh on 46 from 25 ahead of fixtures this Wednesday for Stoneyburn away to Cowdenbeath Central and the capital city side at home to the Fifers.

Albert have got four games left to go as they bid to add the division three title to the move up they’ve already confirmed, reversing their relegation from division two in 2023 – away to Pumpherston in West Lothian this coming Saturday, a Borders derby hosting Vale of Leithen next Tuesday, at home to Livingston United on Saturday, May 9, and away to Cowdenbeath the Saturday after, all 2.30pm kick-offs except next week’s visit from the Innerleithen outfit, that being a 7.30pm start.

Their scorers past home goalkeeper Scott Kyles at East Shore Park on Saturday were Harry Fowler on 12 minutes, Stephen Anderson on 31, Dylan Hamilton on 89, Paul Tansey on 93 and Greg Ford on 100.

Netting beyond visiting keeper Jamie Newman for their hosts, left outnumbered by an 80th-minute red card for Finn Bannerman, were Callum Roughead on 10, Ronnie Martin on 50, Ryan Daly on 63 and Andrew McCallion on 99.

Division two’s other Borderers ahead of Albert’s arrival this summer, Linton Hotspur, were out of action at the weekend, as were Vale a division down.

Co-managers Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s Hotspur are currently tenth in their table, on 34 points from 25 games, and Ger Rossi’s Vale are eighth in theirs, on 38 from 27.

Both return to action at home this coming Saturday, with kick-offs at 2.30pm, the former versus Fife’s third-placed Oakley United at New Moor Road and the latter – held to a 1-1 draw at home to Newburgh last Tuesday, with Andrew McCallion putting the visitors in front via a 38th-minute penalty and Kyle Kivlichan equalising just past the hour mark, their visitors having been left a man short by that point by a 53rd-minute red card for Cammy Newsome – against East Lothian’s second-from-bottom Ormiston Primrose at Victoria Park.