​Late show earns third league win of season for Vale of Leithen

​A Kyle Mitchell goal three minutes from full-time earned the second-from-bottom Innerleithen outfit three points to take them two clear of basement side Harthill Royal and potentially within one win, as things stand, of 13th-placed Peebles Rovers.

Yasser Sambo put the hosts ahead at Victoria Park on 12 minutes and James Flynn doubled their advantage from the penalty spot on 33 but a Dylan Walker double, on 51 minutes and 77, looked to have earned the Fifers a point until Mitchell’s late match-winner.

A 1-1 draw for Harthill away to sixth-placed Coldstream on Saturday would have seen them go level with manager Ian Flynn’s Vale on seven points but Mitchell’s last-gasp intervention instead puts an escape from the relegation zone within reach, depending on how Peebles fare at home to fifth-placed West Calder United this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 1.30pm.

Thomas Grey scored for manager David Brown’s Streamers, with Felix Hall on target for their visitors from West Lothian.

Vale take a break from league duty this Saturday, heading to Dunbar United for an East of Scotland Qualifying Cup round-four tie kicking off at 2.30pm.

Coldstream, though, have got this weekend off and are next in action hosting a derby on Saturday, December 28, at 2.30pm, against 12th-placed Tweedmouth Rangers.

Rovers’ match this weekend will be new manager Anthony Ashworth’s second in charge following a 7-0 defeat away to table-toppers Armadale Thistle on Saturday.

Their West Lothian hosts’ scorers, assisted by an own goal, were Ryan Robertson at the double, Robbie Feeney, Ben Stewart, Alan Higgins and Mo Ceesay.

Coldstream are currently on 22 points from 15 games, Peebles on 12 from 13 and Vale on nine from 13.

A division down, Hawick Royal Albert are second and Linton Hotspur third after drawing 4-4 at home to eighth-placed Edinburgh United and losing 3-1 away to Livingston United respectively on Saturday.

Albert are on 25 points from 15 fixtures and Hotspur on 23 from 12 ahead of away-days at seventh-placed Livingston and second-from-bottom Newburgh Juniors this Saturday, both 1.30pm kick-offs.

Lewis Dyke scored twice and Ben Tracey once for the Royalists at Albert Park, with an own goal going their way too, and Josh Philp netted for Hotspur in West Lothian.