A week on from his first game as manager, James Thomson took his Tranent Juniors team to West Lothian to take on bottom side Livingston United.

After his injury and subsequent hospitalisation the previous week, highly rated young goalkeeper Michael Valenzuela was back between the sticks for Tranent, with the starting XI from the Haddington game mostly unchanged – Richard Fairnie, who claimed their goal in the derby, was ruled out with a viral infection and was replaced in midfield by the returning Daniel O’Rourke.

The exposed location of Livingston’s Station Park meant the afternoon’s proceedings were played out in conditions ruinous to the prospects of a good footballing contest, with strong winds blowing across the park. With both teams short on confidence, it was perhaps inevitable the game was a pretty scrappy affair from the outset, with highlights conspicuous by their absence.

The first half was instantly forgettable, with neither side really creating a great deal in terms of goalscoring opportunities, and it was no surprise when it finished goalless – Livingston had perhaps had the edge, and boss Thomson was decidedly disappointed at Tranent’s showing.

His players were made aware at half-time that more was expected of them, and he hoped for a reaction after the break, but instead things deteriorated on what was an afternoon from which he could take little in terms of positives.

The hosts made the breakthrough with 10 minutes played when Jordan Thomson netted, and eight minutes later Russell made it 2-0.

Tranent tried to play their way back into the game and the home keeper pulled off a couple of decent saves from recent signing Euan Vallance, but the remainder of the game was played out with Livingston’s lead looking safe. A trialist added a third for the hosts right at the end of the game, leaving the Tranent management to wonder how it came to be that the team who’d performed encouragingly against Haddington had played so poorly here.

With their interest in the Scottish Junior Cup ended, Tranent have no fixture on Saturday and await the announcement of next Saturday’s schedule.

They’re seeking to add one or two new faces to the squad but with resources at Foresters Park very much limited, manager Thomson is fully aware of the realities facing him in his task to end their losing run. The players he has at his disposal proved under Hamish Colgan in the early part of the season that they’re capable of getting results in the South Division, where the standard in some cases isn’t especially high, and his first objective must be to have them believe in themselves again.