By Darin Hutson

Copyright thesouthernreporter

The biggest scalp taken was that of Gala Fairydean Rovers, the Scottish Lowland Football League side going out to opposition four tiers beneath them in the country’s pyramid system. Manager Martin Scott’s fifth-tier team lost 2-1 away to West of Scotland Football League third division side Knightswood in Kirkintilloch. Lewis McArthur put their East Dunbartonshire hosts ahead on 26 minutes and Ryan Porter doubled their lead on 58, with Kieran Dolan getting one back for the visitors on 61. That’s Fairydean’s second challenge cup exit to WoSFL opposition on the bounce after going out to Irvine Meadow XI in round three last October, losing 1-0 at home to the first division team. East of Scotland Football League division three’s Vale of Leithen and Hawick Royal Albert both went out of the cup hosting Edinburgh opposition. The Innerleithen outfit, currently without a manager following Ian Flynn’s departure earlier in the week, were beaten 3-0 by third division rivals Edinburgh United, with Isaac Mackie, Todd Teviotdale and Callum Hunter on target for the visitors at Victoria Park. Gaffer Kenny Aitchison’s Albert were edged out 4-3 at home to EoSFL division one’s Edinburgh South, with Lewis Dyke, Graeme Clark and Harry Fowler netting for the hosts and Kenny O’Brien, Lucas McGarry and Ciaran Vaughan scoring the other way, assisted by an own goal. Saturday’s three cup exits followed those of EoSFL division two’s Coldstream and Linton Hotspur in round one in August, beaten 3-0 at home to WoSFL premier division side Hurlford United and 3-1 on penalties away to WoSFL division four’s Carluke Rovers after ending open play tied at 1-1 respectively. Hotspur were on league duty on Saturday, drawing 3-3 away to West Calder United. Their scorers in West Lothian were Fraser Martin, Andy Watson and Ty McLean, with Kieran Anderson, Steven Jackson and David Mitchell on target for their hosts. Fairydean are at home to Tranent this coming Saturday, September 20, with kick-off at 3pm. They go into that return to league action sitting sixth in the table on 16 points from nine fixtures, two places and two points better off than their visitors, and they’ll be hoping for their first victory ever against them. Rovers’ best result to date versus Tranent was a goalless away draw in August 2022, their first meeting following the East Lothian outfit’s promotion from the EoSFL’s top flight that summer. They’ve lost all five of their league games since – at home by 2-0 in February 2023 and the same scoreline in January 2024 and 2-1 last October and away by 2-1 in November 2023 and 7-0 last September. The two teams have also met twice in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup, with Fairydean losing at home both times round, by 4-2 in August 2018 and 6-0 a year later. Coldstream, Hotspur, Vale and the Royalists are all on league duty this Saturday as well, with kick-offs at 2.30pm. The Streamers host Arniston Rangers and Hotspur are away to another Midlothian club, Dalkeith Thistle. Vale are at home to East Lothian’s Ormiston Primrose and the Royalists will be hitting the road to Northumberland’s Tweedmouth Rangers. Co-managers Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s Hotspur are ninth in their table, on nine points, with opposite number David Brown’s Coldstream tenth, on eight, both from seven fixtures. A division down, Vale are second from bottom and Albert second from top, on three points and 12 respectively, both from five matches.