Vale Ladies secure return to top tier

Hutchison Vale Ladies guaranteed their return to the Scottish Women's Premier League after an absence of four years by securing runners-up spot in the First Division with a 2-0 defeat of Raith Rovers at Glenrothes.

The Edinburgh club's rivals, Celtic Reserves, who will finish top, are unable to gain promotion due to Celtic's first team occupying a place in the top tier.

Hutchison Vale coach Neil MacRae said: "We've always felt that's where the club should be, and that's where we rightfully belong.

"There are lots of women's teams out there, but we were one of the first with a youth system and now we have the reward for that with half the first team starting at the Girls' School or the under-13.

"As far as I'm aware, because of the way the league is constituted and because they're affiliated to Celtic, they can't go up. It's a shame when you have such quality as that. I've always had faith in my team since I came on board last year, that we were the best passing team in the league, and that given time to gel we would grow stronger."