CROSSGATES PRIMROSE will play in next season's senior Scottish Cup if they can claim two victories over the next month.

The Humbug Park outfit, who are fifth in the East of Scotland League, Premier Division, claimed silverware in their first cup final appearance since 1995 when they won the Alex Jack Cup last month.

Goals from Brian Ritchie, Finn Graham and Calum Smith gave Alan Campbell's team a memorable 3-0 win over Leith Athletic at Kelty Hearts' New Central Park, giving the club its first trophy since winning the West Fife Cup in 1958.

Victory in the final, which had been delayed since November, when the showpiece was called off due to the weather, has also provided Primrose with an opportunity to be in the draw for the Scottish Cup, but two opponents stand in their way.

The Alex Jack Cup is competed for by East of Scotland League clubs who are not already competing in the Scottish Cup, with matches usually taking place on the same weekends, and the winner will play their contemporaries in the Southern Counties FA's Alba Cup, competed for by teams in the South of Scotland Football League, and the West of Scotland Football League's Strathclyde Demolition Cup.

Those competitions were won by Nithsdale Wanderers and Drumchapel United respectively, and the three clubs will face each other in a round-robin format in the 'Cup Winners' Shield'.

This Saturday, Primrose travel to Drumchapel, with kick-off at 2pm, before hosting Nithsdale at Humbug on May 28, with Nithsdale hosting Drumchapel on May 7.

The winner of the Shield after those matches will then move into the draw for next season's Scottish Cup.

Crossgates were also successful in the East of Scotland League Cup, winning Group F to progress to a tie with Glenrothes in the next round.

Meanwhile, last Saturday, Primrose were in league action at Whitehill Welfare, with Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts, Rosyth and Oakley United all also playing.

Here's our round-up of all the action, courtesy of Jamie Sinclair.

East of Scotland League, Premier Division: Tynecastle 0 Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 2

SWIFTS secured Premier Division safety with victory.

Greig Spence found himself clean through after a terrific through ball before slotting past the keeper.

Scorer then turned provider after half-time when Spence latched on to the keeper’s mistake before squaring it for Liam Kelly who put the ball into the empty net. 

Manager Grant Brough said: “I thought it was a very solid performance. That’s us safe from automatic relegation, which was first and foremost in our minds so now we just have to build on it.”

It was Spence’s 40th goal in his 41st game this season and Brough said: “He’s been a massive player for us. I can’t talk him up enough, to be honest. He’s great around the dressing room and a great captain on the field.”

The Swifts play Broxburn in the League Cup in their next match with Brough commenting: “They beat us last time in what was one of our poorer performances so hopefully we can right that. There’s an incentive to get through the next round and then you never know what can happen.”

East of Scotland League, Premier Division:Whitehill Welfare 1 Crossgates Primrose 1

IT WAS a disappointing result for Crossgates who had taken the lead through Callum Smith‘s great header midway through the first half. 

But Welfare scored before half-time to send the teams in level at the break level and while each side had chances to win the game in the second half, both failed to find the cutting edge that was needed.

Crossgates boss Alan Campbell said: “It was probably a fair result. I don’t think we deserved to get beat but probably didn’t do enough to win either. I think we just lacked that something special and real quality to get the victory. The one moment of quality in the game was our goal.”

Crossgates take on Drumchapel United in the Cup Winners’ Shield this Saturday, a game that will give Crossgates a chance of qualifying for the senior Scottish Cup. 

Campbell said: “It’s going to be a tough game. You could imagine what qualifying for the Scottish Cup would do for a club the size of this. We will be right up for it but they will be in the exact same boat.”

East of Scotland League First Division, Conference A: Rosyth 4 Tweedmouth 2

ANOTHER great result for Rosyth after picking up that elusive win in their last game against Kennoway. 

They might have feared the worst when they missed a penalty in the first 15 minutes but Sean O’Neil opened the scoring 10 minutes later with a volley at the back post. Soon after, Graeme Nutt was there to volley home Rosyth’s second to give them a 2-0 lead at the break. 

Despite Rosyth appearing comfortable, Tweedmouth mounted a comeback and scored two quickfire goals to equalise within 15 minutes after half-time. But the hosts were awarded a penalty, converted by Dan Hall, to make it 3-2 and, 10 minutes later, Hall was there to score from Jason Finlay’s cross. 

Recs manager Dean Ogg said: “At this stage of the season,  the win is the most important thing. We needed a massive three points on Saturday and that’s what we got. I think if we played this game 10 or 12 weeks ago, we might’ve ended up with a different result if it got back to 2-2. It’s testament to the guys over the past few weeks that we’ve regrouped, players have returned from injury and we’ve got a much stronger squad.”

Rosyth face a trip down to Coldstream this Saturday and Ogg added: “It’ll be a hard game as they’re fighting just like us. The two games have given us a boost, training’s been good so full confidence going into the weekend.”

East of Scotland League First Division, Conference B: Peebles United 0 Oakley United 5

IT WAS an emphatic victory for Oakley as club captain Stuart Love bagged a hat-trick. 

Reece Bernard opened the floodgates in the 27th minute with a great finish.

It was then two in two minutes for Love as his smart header found its way into the net before bagging his second to put Oakley 3-0 up at half-time. 

Ten minutes into the second period, Johnny Harrison made it four, before Love bagged his hat-trick from the penalty spot three minutes from time. 

Manager Stewart Kenny said: “That was a statement of intent from the players today. It’s a performance that will hopefully kick us on for the remainingfour4 games. They were really commanding and dominated the full game.”

On his captain’s performance, Kenny said: “Stuart Love does what Stuart Love does. He leads by example. His energy levels are unmatched and he really drives us.

“We’ve got a friendly coming up this weekend to try and keep us ticking over and then Lochore will be a very tough game.”

Saturday’s fixtures:– League Cup: Broxburn vs Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts (2.30pm). First Division Conference A: Coldstream vs Rosyth (2.30pm). Cup Winners’ Shield: Drumchapel United v Crossgates Primrose (2pm).