Hawick Royal Albert end relegation season with 3-2 defeat in capital

Hawick Royal Albert manager Kenny Aitchison watching his side's last home game of the East of Scotland Football League second division season just ended, a 1-0 win against Newburgh Juniors (Pic: Steve Cox)

Goals by captain Daniel Chandler and one of their trialists weren’t enough for a last hurrah for manager Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists on their way down to the league’s third division, with Ben Uwandu and Jason Howie, helped by an own goal, netting in the other direction at Edinburgh’s St Mark’s Park.

That defeat, the Borderers’ 23rd in this season’s 32 fixtures, saw them finish their latest campaign second from bottom of the table on 15 points.

Going down with them will be basement side Lochgelly Albert, on 14 points, and their hosts at the weekend, third from bottom on 26.

Looking ahead, Aitchison said: “At the moment, we’ve got a good squad for next year in terms of numbers. It’s just about finding quality over quantity now.”

Hawick are one of three Borders EoSFL sides being relegated this summer, along with Vale of Leithen, long since confirmed for the drop from the premier division to the first, and Coldstream, heading down from the first to the second after losing 4-3 at home to Lochore Welfare at the weekend.

Craig Heugh, Gary Windram and Ejay Gay scored for the Streamers, putting them 3-1 in front at half-time and within reach of safety, only for the Fifers to follow up Ewan Sutherland’s 37th-minute goal with three more after the break – from Joe Kirby, Logan Donaldson and Cameron Bell – to keep themselves up at their hosts’ expense.

Peebles Rovers are the only one of the region’s representatives in the league staying put, courtesy of their ninth-placed finish in the second division.