Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 6 Vale of Leithen 0; Hill of Beath Hawthorn 1 Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 3, East of Scotland League, Premier Division.

SWIFTS gave their Premier Division survival hopes a major boost with two hugely significant victories.

Craig Morrison's team had been hovering just above the relegation zone but, after hitting Vale of Leithen for six on Saturday, they conjured up a superb win at drop rivals, Hill of Beath Hawthorn, on Tuesday to move five points clear of danger.

After three league losses in a row, Inverkeithing welcomed bottom side Vale of Leithen, who had lost every game they had played on the road, at the weekend and returned to winning ways.

Brodie Strang set them on their way after half-an-hour, with Che Reilly and Ryan Cowie putting them 3-0 up by the interval, before Cowie, with his second, Aaron Wood and Josh Jeffries completed the scoring.

That set them up for a huge clash with local rivals Haws, with both clubs hovering just above the drop zone, and it was the hosts who opened the scoring thanks to Andy Jones.

However, Swifts fought back in the second half and, after he had levelled with a fine finish with 20 minutes to go, Reilly curled home his second to give his side the lead.

Although they then missed a penalty, and had Adam Mansouri ordered off, Campbell Dowie raced clear in stoppage time to net Swifts' third, and move them five points clear of danger.

"I'm shouting to him to take it in the corner, but he had other ideas," Morrison laughed in relation to Dowie's clincher.

"We did well against Vale of Leithen on Saturday. Their league position shows they've struggled this season but, in the first 20 minutes, we never opened them up. They were quite stuffy but, once we scored the first goal, we were pretty comfortable.

"Tuesday night was good. We said to the players before that. surface-wise, it's one of the worst we've played on this season; it was hard and bobbly, so we have to be adaptable. We didn't adapt to the surface very well.

"We got the guys in at half-time, had a chat, and make them aware of the tweaks we needed to make and how we needed to play. I thought there was only one team on the pitch in the second half; they did really well."

Oakley United 0 Penicuik Athletic 2; Oakley United 0 Blackburn United 3, East of Scotland League, Premier Division

OAKLEY UNITED'S wait for a home victory in the Premier Division this season goes on after they suffered back-to-back losses at Blairwood Park.

Peter Goldie's team, who will drop back into the First Division after one season following their promotion last term, were beaten by Penicuik Athletic on Saturday, and Blackburn United on Tuesday evening.

Fifth-top Cuikie took the lead midway through the second half on Saturday through a Josh Philp header, before Taylor Hendry made sure of the points with a calm finish late on.

The team immediately above second bottom Oakley in the table, Blackburn, arrived on Tuesday looking for a victory that would give them a battling chance of climbing out of the relegation zone.

Goals from Kyle Sampson and Scott Richards put them two goals up at the interval, before Craig Baillie added their third with less than five minutes to go.

Crossgates Primrose 0 Musselburgh Athletic 1; Crossgates Primrose 1 Tynecastle 2, East of Scotland League, Premier Division

ALAN CAMPBELL says his Crossgates Primrose team can't feel sorry for themselves as they bid to end their league campaign strongly.

The Humbug Park outfit suffered two home defeats in the space of three days, to Musselburgh Athletic and Tynecastle, but remain in sight of finishing in the upper reaches of the table.

Nathan Evans goal, which spun off a Crossgates defender and looped into the net, gave Musselburgh all three points on Saturday, in a match that Campbell bemoaned his side's lack of a cutting edge after having "huffed and puffed" in the second period.

He, however, claimed Tuesday night's game with Tynecastle was "completely different", and a "head scratcher" as to how they ended up on the losing side.

The relegation battling visitors took a sixth minute lead but, although Archie Campbell levelled on the half hour mark, they scored again midway through the second half to collect the three points.

"It was a head scratcher how we lost that game, but I said to the players after that it's about what you do in both boxes," Campbell commented.

"We had a barrowload of chances but spurned those opportunities. To walk away with nothing was undeserved. It was a frustrating night.

"It's got a bit of an end of season feel to it, but we've got five games left. We can't feel sorry for ourselves; we've got to pick ourselves up again and try and finish the season strongly."

Primrose, who are eighth in the table and six points behind fourth-placed Jeanfield Swifts, having played two games fewer, have announced that Darren Aitken and Paul Brown have extended their contracts with the club.

Kirkcaldy and Dysart 3 Rosyth 4, East of Scotland League, League Cup, third round

ROSYTH are through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup after winning by the odd-goal-in-seven in an explosive tie with Kirkcaldy and Dysart.

The two First Division rivals went head-to-head at Alex Penman Park and, in a match that saw both end with nine men, Zata Matifadza scored his first goal for the Rec to send them through in extra-time.

Greig Denham saw a four-game winning streak come to an end for his team in their previous match, a league encounter at Newtongrange Star that ended in defeat, but they bounced back in thrilling circumstances.

Darren Ormiston gave Rosyth the lead just shy of the half hour mark by converting Tam Hampson's cutback, before the goal supplier doubled their lead in 38 minutes from the penalty spot, in an incident which saw the home team's Mark Wilkie ordered off.

Jason Penman made it three on the stroke of the interval, moments after Ormiston was red-carded for what was deemed to be an elbow, but John Smith pulled one back shortly after the restart.

Rosyth then went down to nine men, with only 53 minutes played, when Callum Strang picked up a second booking, and conceded a second goal three minutes later through ex-Kelty Hearts forward, Jay Bridgeford.

Ryan McEwan pulled Kirkcaldy and Dysart level with 20 minutes to go but, after they also had a second man sent off, in the shape of Jason Nouri, Matifadza won it for Rosyth in the first period of extra-time.

"We were well worthy of our victory," Denham said.

"The character and resilience from the players was exceptional, especially in extra-time, and we were well worthy of our goal.

"I'm really proud of the players. Hunger, desire, application - you name it, it was all there in abundance. We're delighted to get through to the quarter-finals, and the boys should be proud of that."

Saturday's fixtures (kick-offs 2.30pm unless stated): East of Scotland League, Premier Division: Blackburn United v Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts, Crossgates Primrose v Jeanfield Swifts (1.30pm), Oakley United v Tynecastle. First Division: Whitehill Welfare v Rosyth.