SOUTH Division leaders Tranent crossed the Forth on Saturday for the first time since losing 2-0 at Lochgelly on March 21, five games into the managerial reign of Gary Small.
Much has changed at Foresters Park since then, of course, a completely new team representing the Belters little more than six months on and, in stark contrast to last season’s team, having racked up six victories in their opening seven fixtures.
Small had good reason to be going into last week’s game in a positive frame of mind, having announced a contract extensions tying down Jamie Paterson, and also completed the transfer of midfielder Darren Flynn from Dalkeith Thistle. Lochgelly were considered potentially troublesome opponents and Tranent knew they would have to roll their sleeves up and battle for a positive result at a difficult venue.
It was evident from the early stages that things would be as closely fought as most had anticipated, more so from the Tranent perspective after they lost a goal 10 minutes in when the Berts’ Grierson hooked home a shot from a tight angle after his initial effort was blocked.
Plentiful effort was required from all Tranent players as their opponents took a lift from their goal and began to sense they had a decent chance of beating the team currently the South Division’s big scalp – their reward came in the 32nd minute when Stephen Manson netted the equaliser.
The match continued in the same vein as previously, with not much at all to choose between the teams, before Manson grabbed what turned out to be an important winner eight minutes into the second half.
Another excellent win for Tranent, then, against a decent outfit, and they can now go into their Fife & Lothians Cup second-round tie this Saturday comfortable in the knowledge they will still be top of the table when league business resumes next week.
Interestingly, the cup competition takes them to West Lothian to face Whitburn Juniors for the second time in three weeks – they lost their only game so far this season when Whitburn ran out 4-3 winners in their league meeting. The venue hadn’t been confirmed as of the start of this week – Whitburn are hopeful of returning to their Central Park home soon after an absence of almost two years but there are one or two matters to resolve before they can do so; the previous meeting was played at Stoneyburn, and last week it was at Livingston United.
There was more good news off the park on Monday as the club announced further contract extensions, Ryan McKenzie and Stephen Manson committing for season 2016/17.