Six Borders sides given first-round byes for football’s South Region Challenge Cup

Round two – to be played on or around Saturday, September 14 – will see Scottish Lowland Football League outfit Fairydean hosting East of Scotland Football League first division side Camelon Juniors.

EoSFL second division teams Vale, Peebles and Coldstream host the first division’s Preston Athletic, away to East Renfrewshire’s Neilston, currently in the West of Scotland Football League’s first division, and at home to either South of Scotland Football League champions Dalbeattie Star or the EoSFL first division’s Blackburn United respectively.

The EoSFL third division’s Hotspur and Albert are both on the road, at WoSFL fourth division team Campbeltown Pupils and EoSFL division one’s Newtongrange Star respectively.

Albert were the Borders’ last men standing in the challenge cup last time round, making it to the third round to be knocked out 4-1 away to Kilwinning Rangers, in the WoSFL’s premier division at the time but since relegated, last October after beating then third division rivals Bathgate Thistle 2-1 at home in September’s round two.

Peebles and Coldstream went out in round two after home losses by 2-1 to the EoSFL premier division’s Dunbar United and 4-3 to EoSFL division three’s Stoneyburn respectively.

Fairydean, Vale and Hotspur failed to make it beyond August’s round one, losing 3-2 at the EoSFL premier division’s Tynecastle, 2-0 at Coldstream and 5-3 hosting EoSFL division three’s Livingston United respectively.

Five of the Borders’ six sides in Scottish football’s fifth to ninth tiers were in pre-season friendly action on Saturday.

Fairydean lost 3-1 to Hill of Beath Hawthorn at a tournament staged by Luncarty, near Perth, with Ross Allum at the double and Dan Watt on target for their EoSFL premier division opponents and Grant Rose putting away the Borderers’ consolation effort.

Vale were beaten 2-1 away to East Lothian’s Tranent Amateurs, with Elliot Mannion and Ryan Flanagan scoring for their Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association Saturday premier division hosts and Ross Nicholson getting one back for the Innerleithen outfit.

Hotspur lost 7-0 away to EoSFL division two’s Armadale Thistle, with Kammy Jackson and Aaron Ramage at the double, Ewan Herriot, Kris Kelly and Declan Wood netting for their West Lothian hosts.

The Royalists went down 4-0 away to EoSFL division two’s Tweedmouth Rangers, with Craig Bell, Ciaran Nisbet, TJ Adebayo and Sam Straughan on target for the Northumbrians.

Coldstream notched up a 6-0 win at home to EoSFL division three’s Ormiston Primrose, with Stefan Kennedy, Jack Sprott, Drew Cummings, Bailey Paterson, Jack Storm and Thomas Grey scoring.

This coming Saturday sees Fairydean hosting Midlothian’s Newtongrange, Albert at home to the Border Amateur Football Association B division’s Hawick Legion, the Streamers hosting BAFA A division champions Langlee Amateurs and Vale away to East Lothian’s Ormiston.

Ahead of that weekend fixture card, this Thursday sees Hotspur away to Leith Victoria and Peebles at Newtongrange.

See also …

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/sport/football/trip-to-caledonian-braves-first-up-for-gala-fairydean-rovers-next-football-season-4695638