Vale of Leithen celebrating first victory for eight months

​Their last match of the current campaign at home at Innerleithen’s Victoria Park on Saturday saw basement side Vale beat third-from-bottom Blackburn United by 3-0.

That was their first win since they got the better of Hill of Beath Hawthorn, also at home, by 2-0 in the autumn and it opens up the possibility of recording back-to-back victories for the first time since February 2019 away to second-bottom Oakley United this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 2.30pm.

Both Vale and their Fife hosts at the weekend are currently on three points from 29 fixtures, having been hit with three-point penalties for fielding ineligible players, and confirmed for relegation, along with West Lothian’s Blackburn, on 29 points from the same number of games.

Oakley beat Vale 3-1 in the reverse fixture in the Borders in October, but new manager Ian Flynn will be hoping to conclude the current campaign with a win at Blairwood Park to go out on a bit of a high.

If he can pull that off, that would be the most wins Vale have mustered since the eight they racked up during their 2018/19 Scottish Lowland Football League campaign, having already matched the two they managed the season after and doubled the tally of one they had to make do with the following season as they exited the fifth tier.

Owen Bryce scored two of Vale’s goals at the weekend against a United side reduced to ten men five minutes into the second half, on 50 minutes from the penalty spot and 70, with Ross Nicholson netting their other on 35.

United had been in with a chance of staying up prior to kick-off but Tynecastle’s 0-0 draw at home to Hill of Beath at the same time rendered the result at Victoria Park academic.

A spokesperson for Vale said: “Credit for a great effort by all the boys and a big thanks to all our sponsors and all the others who have supported the club through a very difficult period.

“Everyone had a good day and hopefully there will be a good few more next season.”