Wins on road for Hawick Royal Albert, Peebles Rovers and Coldstream but losses on home turf for Vale of Leithen and Linton Hotspur

Peebles Rovers beating Ormiston Primrose 1-0 away in the East of Scotland Football League's second division on Saturday (Pic: Ian Robertson)

Saturday saw the first Borders derby of the new East of Scotland Football League third division season and it went the way of Hawick Royal Albert, winners by 3-1 at Linton Hotspur.

On target for head coach Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists were Harry Fowler at the double and his brother Tom.

That result leaves Albert seventh in the table after six fixtures, with ten points, and their West Linton rivals, managed by Chris King, ninth, with three.

Both the region’s EoSFL second division sides also won on the road at the weekend, Peebles Rovers by 1-0 at Ormiston Primrose and Coldstream by 4-2 at Tweedmouth Rangers.

Peebles Rovers winning 1-0 at Ormiston Primrose on Saturday (Pic: Ian Robertson)

Robbie Renwick scored Rovers’ goal in East Lothian and Regan Graham, Stuart Coyle, Miguel Freire and Owen Renton netted for the Streamers, with Sam Straughan and Evan Smith on target for their Northumbrian hosts.

Those wins leave gaffer Ger Rossi’s Peebles side seventh in the table, on ten points from six games, and Kieran Ainslie’s Coldstream 12th, on seven from six.

The region’s only representives in EoSFL division one, Vale of Leithen, didn’t fare so well, losing 4-0 at home to Whitehill Welfare.

Lewis Walker got a hat-trick for the Midlothian outfit in Innerleithen, with Jonny Devers also netting.

Manager Ian Flynn’s side remain bottom of the table without any points after seven games.

Hawick Peebles and Coldstream are in South Region Challenge Cup action this Saturday, hosting Bathgate Thistle, Dunbar United and Stoneyburn respectively, all 2.30pm kick-offs.

Vale don’t play again until a league game away to West Lothian’s Blackburn United on Saturday, September 30, at 2.30pm.

Hotspur have this weekend off but are away to Coldstream on Saturday, September 23, at 2.30pm in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup’s second round.