Hawick Royal Albert and Vale of Leithen extend winning streaks to four fixtures
Hawick Royal Albert and Vale of Leithen both racked up their fourth victories on the bounce on Saturday, hosting Edinburgh Community and away to Pumpherston respectively.
Albert’s 3-1 win at the weekend followed ones by 3-2 away to the same opponents, 3-0 at Ormiston Primrose and 2-0 at Tweedmouth Rangers over the three Saturdays prior and Vale’s 3-0 victory in West Lothian came on the back of ones by 6-3 against Livingston United, 3-1 versus Edinburgh United and 4-0 facing Ormiston Primrose, all at home at Innerleithen’s Victoria Park.
Those results take manager Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists eight points clear at the top of the East of Scotland Football League’s third division and lift opposite number Ger Rossi’s Vale up to third place.
Albert are on 24 points from nine fixtures and Vale are one of five teams on 15 points, from nine fixtures in their case and those of fifth-placed Cowdenbeath Central and seventh-placed Livingston United and from eight in those of fourth-placed Stoneyburn and sixth-placed Newburgh.
The Borderers are now targeting extending their current winning streaks further, to a handful of games, this coming Saturday, away to Stoneyburn in West Lothian for Albert and Cowdenbeath Central in Fife for Vale, with kick-offs at 2.30pm.
The Royalists’ scorers at Albert Park at the weekend were Connor Elliot at the double on 40 minutes and 43 and Ayoola Olusoji on 83 after their visitors had taken the lead on 22.
Kyle Mitchell scored for Vale on two minutes and 84 and Fraser Stewart added a third goal on 91.
EoSFL division two’s Coldstream were also in action on Saturday, beating Newburgh 4-1 away in Fife in round two of this season’s East of Scotland Qualifying Cup to book a third-round trip back to Fife to face Glenrothes on Saturday, October 25, with kick-off at 2.30pm.
Their goals beyond home No 1 Sean Martin were scored by captain Thomas Grey at the double on 21 minutes and 69, Matt Boyd on 36 and Craig Bell on 90 after Andy McCallion had put their hosts in front, beating visiting goalkeeper Matt Hall with less than a minute on the clock.
Manager David Brown’s Streamers return to league duty this Saturday and they’ll be heading back to Fife to take on Burntisland Shipyard, with kick-off at 2.20pm.
Division two rivals Linton Hotspur are on the road too, to West Lothian’s Fauldhouse United, and that’s a 2.30pm kick-off as well.
Nine games into their seasons, co-managers Ruaraidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s Hotspur are tenth in the table on 12 points, with Coldstream 11th on 11.