Updated: Hawick Royal Albert are only Borderers to get new East of Scotland Football League season off to winning beginning

Their second division south-east conference rivals Linton Hotspur lost out by 4-1 away to Edinburgh United and the first division’s Coldstream were held to a goalless draw away to Crossgates Primrose in Fife.

On the scoresheet for manager Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists were Callum Barnett on six minutes, Ayoola Olusoji on 37 and 67, Harry Fowler on 47 and Lewis Dyke on 53, with the visiting students getting a goal back on 67.

Robbie Renwick netted a consolation effort for co-gaffers Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s Hotspur in the capital a minute ahead of full-time after Lewis Marshall, Gary Mair, Todd Teviotdale and Greg Page had given their Paties Road hosts a four-goal lead on 28 minutes, 31, 45 and 67 respectively.

Manager David Brown’s Streamers were back in action on Tuesday, losing 2-0 at home to Edinburgh’s Hutchison Vale.

Hotspur lost out hosting further Edinburgh opposition at the same time, going down 3-2 to Tynecastle in West Linton, with Renwick and Ciaran Young scoring their goals.

Albert and Hotspur’s south-east conference rivals Vale of Leithen didn’t play on the new season’s opening day but are scheduled to start their latest league campaign tonight, July 29, away to Edinburgh United, with a 7.30pm start.

That follows a 5-1 warm-up win for manager Ger Rossi’s Innerleithen outfit last Wednesday at home to Border Amateur Football Association A division new boys Stow.

On target for the Victoria Park hosts were Louie Grahame at the double, Kyle Kivlichan, Fraser Stewart and Murray Davidson, with Matthew Dalgleish getting one back for their visitors.

This coming Saturday sees Coldstream, Hotspur and Vale all at home on league duty – respectively to Fife’s Lochgelly Albert and Midlothian’s Arniston Rangers and Dalkeith Thistle, all 2.30pm kick-offs.

Hawick are in action at home to Midlothian opposition too, the EoSFL premier division’s Penicuik Athletic, but they’re playing in preliminary round one of this season’s Scottish Cup, starting half an hour later.

Further midweek fixtures follow next Tuesday, in round two of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup, with the Streamers taking on Crossgates again, this time at home, and Hotspur away to the Scottish Lowland Football League East’s Berwick Rangers, with kick-offs at 7.30pm and 7.45pm respectively.