Vale of Leithen and Hawick Royal Albert both hit for six in Fife

The bottom-of-the-table Innerleithen outfit, already confirmed as relegated from the East of Scotland Football League’s premier division, lost 6-0 at tenth-placed Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts, and Albert, still fighting for survival in its second division, were beaten by the same scoreline at Thornton Hibs.

Swifts’ scorers versus Vale were Brodie Strang, Che Reilly, Ryan Cowie at the double, Aaron Wood and Josh Jeffries.

Next up for new manager Ian Flynn’s side, now on no points from 27 fixtures with three left to go, is a trip to fourth-from-bottom Hill of Beath Hawthorn this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 2.30pm.

Their Fife hosts are the only team they’ve beaten this season, by 2-0 in the reverse fixture at Victoria Park in September, but they later had those three points docked for breaching selection rules.

Joe Kinninmonth scored a hat-trick for fifth-placed Hibs against Albert, with John Soutar, Daniel McNab and Matthew Robertson also netting.

That result leaves manager Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists second from bottom of their table, on 11 points from 26 fixtures with seven left to play, ahead of a visit from the team immediately above them, Ormiston Primrose, this Saturday, also kicking off at 2.30pm.

A win at Albert Park would see Hawick leapfrog their visitors, on 13 points from 24 matches, as well as making amends for losing the reverse fixture in East Lothian in August by 4-0.