Lowland League round-up: Spartans in seventh heaven; Hearts youngsters hit nine against sorry students, Strollers denied by ex-Livingston striker; Tranent held in stormy affair

Spartans remarkable run saw the Ainslie Park men rack up their seventh successive Lowland League victory after a 3-0 success on the road at Gretna 2008.

Following a goalless first half at Raydale Park, Mikey Allan's volley from the edge of the box got Dougie Samuel's men off the mark. Rhys Armstrong doubled the visitors' advantage, taking a pass from Jamie Dishington and slotting the ball under the goalkeeper. Cammy Russell put the icing on the cake with a third late on. Spartans are up to second in the standings and now just a point adrift of current leaders Rangers B, who have played a game fewer.

Elsewhere, Hearts B picked up just their third win since joining Scottish football's fifth tier in the summer with an emphatic 9-0 victory at Capital rivals Edinburgh University.

Steven Naismith's youngsters ran riot at East Peffermill against the struggling students, Bobby McLuckie opening the floodgates in the 20th minute. Callum Sandilands doubled the visitors' advantage four minutes later before the same player got his second with a stunning drive five minutes before the interval. McLuckie compounded the Uni's misery with his second and Hearts' fourth on the stroke of half-time.

Dougie Samuel's Spartans are in sensational form. Picture: Mark Brown.

Sandilands completed his hat-trick with the wee Jambos' fifth of the afternoon and substitute Callum Hambrook had only entered the fray two minutes prior before getting his name on the scoresheet. It was then McLuckie's turn to hit his hat-trick with number seven. Ryan Duncan and Harry Gordon compounded the home side's misery with strikes eight and nine. Hearts' win was Dorian Ogunro's side's 14 league defeat of the season that keeps the Uni just three points better off than bottom-of-the-table Dalbeattie Star.

Ex-Livingston and Partick Thistle striker Liam Buchanan pounced with five minutes remaining to deny Civil Service Strollers all three points at Berwick Rangers.

Alieu Faye had given Gary Jardine's men a first-half lead at Shielfield Park, but veteran Buchanan showed great composure to find the net, a result that sees Strollers drop to third.

Fourth-placed Tranent played out a frantic 2-2 draw with Rangers B at Foresters Park, Adam McGowan and Cammy Ross on target for Colin Nish's men, who also had Oban Anderson sent off.