Updated with weekend friendly results: Gala Fairydean Rovers are only Borderers given home draw in opening rounds of qualifying cup
Draws have been made for the opening rounds of next football season’s East of Scotland Qualifying Cup and King Cup and four of the five Borders teams contesting the former have been given byes to round two.
Hawick Royal Albert, last season’s East of Scotland Football League third division champions, are the only Borderers playing in two-tie round one and they’ve been drawn away to West Lothian EoSFL premier division outfit Whitburn, with a second-round tie also in West Lothian, away to another EoSFL top-flight team, Blackburn United, at stake.
Scottish Lowland Football League East’s Gala Fairydean Rovers, EoSFL division one’s Coldstream and Albert’s division two south-east conference rivals Linton Hotspur and Vale of Leithen all go straight into 32-tie round two.
Fairydean are the only ones given a home draw and they’ll host the new south-east conference’s Edinburgh Community.
The Streamers are away to EoSFL division one rivals Crossgates Primrose in Fife and Hotspur and Vale are both up against fifth-tier rivals of Fairydean.
The West Linton outfit head east to Northumberland to take on Berwick Rangers and their Innerleithen opposite numbers will be on the road north to play Bo’ness United near Falkirk.
Dates have yet to be fixed for those ties but most of last season’s first and second rounds were played in August so the same is likely to apply next time round.
Manager Martin Scott’s Fairydean made it to round three last year, beating Fife’s Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 7-1 in round two last summer but then losing out to fifth-tier rivals Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic by 3-0 in November, both at home at Netherdale Stadium.
Opposite number David Brown’s Streamers went one round further, beating Newburgh 4-1 in round two and Glenrothes 1-0 in round three, both on the road in Fife last October, before being knocked out 4-1 away to eventual winners Camelon Juniors near Falkirk in December.
The same went for Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s Hotspur, beaten 3-1 at home to West Lothian’s Armadale Thistle in round four in December. That followed a 4-3 second-round penalty shootout win at home to Midlothian’s Newtongrange Star after ending open play tied at 3-3 in August and a 4-3 victory away to Edinburgh’s Leith Athletic a month later.
Gaffer Kenny Aitchison’s Albert and opposite number Ger Rossi’s Vale both went out at the first time of asking in round two last August, the former losing 4-0 away to Tranent in East Lothian and the latter by 3-2 hosting Midlothian’s Penicuik Athletic.
Hotspur are the only Borders club given a first-round bye in next season’s King Cup and they’re at home to either the EoSFL division two north-west conference’s Livingston United or EoSFL division one’s Whitehill Welfare in 16-tie round two.
Seven-tie round one sees Coldstream hosting the south-east conference’s Dalkeith Thistle, Albert away to the north-west conference’s Harthill Royal and Vale at home to EoSFL division one’s Kirkcaldy and Dysart.
If they win those ties and make it to round two, the Streamers will be up against first division rivals Hutchison Vale away in Edinburgh, the Royalists will host fellow south-east conference side Ormiston Primrose and Vale will be at home to Crossgates Primrose.
Dates haven’t been scheduled for the coming season’s King Cup ties either but last term’s first two rounds were contested between last November and January this year.
Hotspur went out in last season’s first round, losing 5-4 on penalties at home to Crossgates Primrose in March after drawing 1-1.
Coldstream and Albert also fell at the first hurdle but in round two in their cases, losing 6-3 away to Edinburgh University in January and 1-0 away to East Lothian’s Ormiston Primrose last November.
Vale made an exit in round two as well, losing 2-1 away to Fauldhouse United in West Lothian in December after beating Tweedmouth Rangers 4-0 at home at Victoria Park in round one the month before.
Fairydean continued their pre-season preparations with a 3-3 draw at home to William Hill League Two’s Edinburgh City at Netherdale Stadium on Saturday.
Their scorers were Che Reilly on 38 minutes, Joe Fagan on 47 and Tylar Denholm on 69, with Jason Jarvis, Craig Thomson and Murray Aiken netting the other way on 40, 61 and 92.
Saturday also saw Vale of Leithen, Coldstream and Albert play their first friendlies of the summer.
Vale hosted the Streamers for a derby, winning 3-2, and the Royalists drew 0-0 away to Midlothian’s Whitehill Welfare in Edinburgh.
On target for Vale were Jake Houten on 46 minutes, Kyle Kivlichan on 49 and Louie Grahame on 61, with Matt Boyd and Craig Bell replying for their visitors on 51 and 70.