Seven games left for Hawick Royal Albert to salvage season

Hawick Royal Albert being beaten 3-0 at Whitburn on Saturday (Pic: Ann Haddow)

Hawick Royal Albert now have seven games left to pull off a great escape from relegation to the East of Scotland Football League’s third division.

First up is a trip to Thornton Hibs this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 2.30pm, and manager Kenny Aitchison’s second-bottom side will be looking to pick up further points from the sixth-placed Fifers after garnering one from the reverse fixture in the Borders at the start of December, a 0-0 draw.

Next up after that is a visit to Hawick’s Albert Park by third-from-bottom Ormiston Primrose, a side they knocked out of the King Cup on penalties last month after extra time ended goalless.

Their East Lothian opponents will be targeting a winning double in the league, however, having beaten Albert 4-0 in the reverse fixture at the beginning of August. Kick-off for that match will be at 2.30pm too.

Hawick Royal Albert on the ball against Whitburn at the weekend (Pic: Ann Haddow)

The rest of Hawick’s run-in comprises trips to Lochgelly Albert, Edinburgh South and Craigroyston on May 6, 13 and 27 respectively, all Saturday fixtures with 2.30pm kick-offs, and visits from Whitburn on Wednesday, May 10, with kick-off at 7.30pm, and Newburgh Juniors on Saturday, May 20, at 3pm.

Albert were beaten 3-0 away to West Lothian’s Whitburn on Saturday gone, with Andy Thomson, Cameron Stokes and Harrison Edwards netting for the table-toppers.

That was followed last night by a visit from sixth-placed Arniston Rangers, a match the Midlothian side won 4-1.

On target for the Gorebridge side were Niall Kemp on six minutes, Jono McManus on 17, Arran Laidlaw on 56 and Cammy Miller on 87, with Harry Fowler netting for the hosts, left outnumbered by a 73rd-minute red card for Ross Stuart, on 49.

That defeat leaves the Royalists on 11 points from 25 fixtures, eight points from safety with 21 left to play for.