Coldstream stretch winning streak to seven games with 4-2 victory v Harthill Royal
Two goals each from James Paxton and Craig Bell away to Harthill Royal on Saturday extended Coldstream’s current winning streak to seven games as they keep up their challenge for this season’s East of Scotland Football League second division title.
Paxton scored on five minutes and 54 and Bell on 73 and 88 as manager David Brown’s Streamers notched up a winning double against Harthill after beating the West Lothian side 6-4 in November’s reverse fixture at home.
That 12th victory of the season, by 4-2, leaves Coldstream as they were in the table, in second place, now on 38 points from 19 fixtures, two shy of league leaders West Calder United, out of action at the weekend after having a scheduled match at Fife’s Kennoway Star Hearts called off.
That was one of ten EoSFL games postponed at the weekend, including division three fixtures for table-toppers Hawick Royal Albert and Vale of Leithen at home to Stoneyburn and Newburgh respectively.
Coldstream are at home to Fauldhouse United this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 2.30pm, but the Borders’ three other EoSFL teams are all on the road – Linton Hotspur at Stirling University in division two, also at 2.30pm, and Albert at Edinburgh United and Vale at Livingston United a division down, both at 2pm.
Co-managers Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s Hotspur go into that return to action after two weeks off sitting eighth in the table, on 26 points from 20 fixtures, seven places and 15 points better off than their basement side hosts.
Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists are 11 points clear of Newburgh at the top of division three, on 43 points from 19 matches, and Ger Rossi’s Vale are eighth, on 26 from 18.
The Streamers drew their reverse fixture away to 13th-placed Fauldhouse in West Lothian in August 1-1 but Hotspur lost theirs hosting the Stirling students in November by 2-1.
Albert have played ninth-placed Edinburgh United once so far this season, winning 1-0 at home in November, and Vale have met fourth-placed Livingston twice, at home in October both times, recording victories by 6-3 and 2-1.