Vale of Leithen boss Michael Wilson resigns after 9-0 South Challenge Cup knockout

A hat-trick from Ryan Cameron, braces by Nicky Weir and Mikey Johnston and further goals from Scott Jardine and Brodie McNab at Victoria Park in Innerleithen without reply from their hosts knocked the Borderers out of the cup and prompted Wilson to tender his resignation.

Player and coach Joe Murray has taken charge in the interim as the East of Scotland Football League premier division’s basement side look to recruit what will be their fourth gaffer in the space of a year and a half.

Former Peebles Rovers manager Wilson took over at Victoria Park in March after his predecessor, Grant Sandison, quit after five months as successor to Chris Anderson, player-manager at the club from April 2016 to last August second time round following an original stint of three months in 2014.

He leaves the club, relegated from the Scottish Lowland Football League at the end of last season, propping up their 16-team division with three points from ten games but having recently celebrated their first home win since April 2019, by 2-0 against Fife’s Hill of Beath Hawthorn at the end of September.

Saturday’s defeat was their second biggest of the season so far after a 10-0 thumping at table-toppers Linlithgow Rose at the start of August.

Explaining the reasons for his departure, Edinburgh-based Wilson said: “It was just a combination of things, to be honest – the result especially, the fact I’d been trying to get players in for so long and the injuries we’ve had.

“I just thought it would be better if somebody else took over and tried to add a bit of fresh impetus.

“I thought to myself ‘why am I doing this?’ because I was getting stressed and at half-time I lost the plot a wee bit. I was feeling like I’d made myself a wee bit ill and I just thought it’s not worth it and I should take a step back and let someone else have a go.

“I wasn’t enjoying it anymore, and if you’re not enjoying it, that’s when you know you have to think about things.

“I just felt there wasn’t much more I could do so it would be better and let someone else come in with some fresh ideas and hopefully kick on because the club have got massive potential. They just need to try and reach it as quickly as possible.”

“It’s been difficult because we’ve had so many players injured and so many players missing through suspension or being on holiday or whatever, so I’ve never had a consistent team. If we’d had the full team we had in the summer and had a really good pre-season with, and we were thumping other teams four or five-nil, we’d have been fine this year, but because we’ve been going to games with only 12 or 13 players, it’s been really difficult.”

Wishing Murray all the best in the weeks ahead, Wilson added: “Joe’s got really good contacts, he’s been playing football for a long time, he’s played for loads of good teams and he’s won lots of things, so he’ll bring a different dimension when it comes to player recruitment.

“The club will be successful and I’ve no doubt that Joe will do well because he’s a good guy.

“He’s a good coach and a good player as well so fingers crossed that he’ll be successful.”

Vale’s next game is away to third-placed Jeanfield Swifts on Saturday, October 29, with kick-off at 2.30pm.