Vale of Leithen go three points clear of East of Scotland Football League division two’s relegation zone after 2-1 win at Dalkeith Thistle

Manager Ian Flynn’s Innerleithen outfit went into that away-day in Midlothian just one point better off than their second-from-bottom hosts but their eighth league win of the season in front of a crowd of 92 – by a scoreline of 2-1, with Kyle Brockie getting one back for Thistle on 80 minutes following Mitchell putting the ball beyond home goalkeeper Chris Malcolm on 43 and 47 – has widened that gap to four, the third-bottom Borderers now being on 25 points from 24 fixtures.

Vale assistant manager Callum Williamson was glad to see his side get back on level terms with Dalkeith for the season after losing 3-1 at home to them in October, telling football vlogger Norrie Work afterwards: “I thought we started quite poorly actually but we worked ourselves into the game and then I thought we controlled it for large spells up until they scored and we started to back off them and weren’t doing what we’d been doing.

“Obviously it was a nervous ending but we saw it out, which six months ago I don’t think we’d have done.”

A 3-2 win for prior basement side Tweedmouth Rangers away to eighth-placed Stirling University lifts them up one place, on 22 points from 25 matches, and Dalkeith replace them at the foot of the table, on 21 from 23 ahead of a visit from fourth-placed West Calder United on Tuesday.

Vale were the Borders’ only winners in the division at the weekend but Coldstream and Peebles Rovers both picked up points on the road, drawing 2-2 at fifth-placed Edinburgh College, thanks to two goals from Miguel Freire, and 0-0 at seventh-placed Kennoway Star Hearts respectively.

That was the former’s fourth point of the season against the students after seeing them off by 6-1 at home in September and Rovers’ first versus the Fifers, having lost 2-0 at home to them that same day.

Those results leave manager David Brown’s Streamers tenth, on 31 points from 25 fixtures, and opposite number Tam McFadyen’s Rovers 12th, level on 25 points with 13th-placed Vale, also after 24 games, but with a goal difference one better.

Vale and Coldstream are back on the road this coming Saturday but Peebles have got the weekend off, next playing at home to third-placed Bathgate Thistle next Wednesday, April 23, at 7pm.

This Saturday sees Vale in West Lothian to take on Bathgate and Coldstream heading up to Fife to face sixth-placed Oakley United, both 2.30pm kick-offs.

Coldstream will hit the road in pursuit of a winning double after beating Oakley 3-1 in October’s reverse fixture in the Borders but Vale will be out to make amends for a 4-3 loss hosting Bathgate at Victoria Park in July.

All three of the Borders’ division two sides have got the following Saturday off, returning to action on Saturday, May 3 – Coldstream away to Stirling University, Peebles at West Calder following a midweek visit from Bathgate next Wednesday and Vale hosting Oakley.

Linton Hotspur remain second in the EoSFL’s third division despite their second defeat of the season at home to eighth-placed Edinburgh United on Saturday.

Their latest loss hosting the capital side, by 2-0, followed a 3-1 defeat to them in West Linton in September.

That sixth loss of the season leaves co-managers Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s side as they were in the table, second to Lochgelly Albert but now trailing the league leaders by 13 points, on 45 points from 23 fixtures, following the Fifers’ 4-0 win at home to Pumpherston at the weekend.

Hotspur and Hawick Royal Albert are both away this Saturday for 2.30pm kick-offs, the former at second-from-bottom Ormiston Primrose and the latter, currently fourth in the table on 37 points from 26 fixtures, at basement side Edinburgh Community.

Hotspur go into that away-day in East Lothian unbeaten against Primrose this season, having handed out a 6-1 hiding to them at home in October and drawn 1-1 with them, also at New Moor Road, the month after.

Albert, on the other hand, have enjoyed mixed fortunes against gaffer Kenny Aitchison’s prior club this term, having got the better of them by 3-1 away in October but lost 6-5 to them at home in February.