Tranent’s penultimate fixture of a torrid 2014/15 campaign brought them face to face with West Calder United, with whom they’d drawn 2-2 in West Lothian way back on August 9 in the second game of the season.

Three consecutive wins followed that result and all in the Foresters Park garden looked at least moderately rosy back then, but since that point they’ve undergone as many changes to the management team as often as they’ve added to their win tally, twice in each instance.

This was Gary Small’s sixth game in charge since taking over from James Thomson and he was yet to avoid defeat, though the circumstances he inherited decreed it was hardly fair he should be held entirely responsible. Tranent’s previous two outings had offered signs of encouragement considering the extremely limited personnel options afforded to Small, although both had ended in defeat (1-2 at home to Stoneyburn, 0-2 at Lochgelly) and with West Calder hardly firing on all cylinders following a dip in form and regular weather-induced interruptions, it didn’t look beforehand as though the result was a foregone conclusion.

Windy conditions at Foresters Park made good football awkward for both sets of players and it was Tranent keeper Sinclair Inglis, recalled after injury, who stood out early on with his vociferous approach and some solid goalkeeping. By and large, though, there wasn’t a great deal of football in evidence, with the wind ruining any prospect of a decent spectacle, what action there was restricted largely to midfield.

With 18 minutes on the clock, West Calder were awarded a free-kick just outside the box and Inglis did well to tip Sneddon’s effort over the bar – three minutes later a long clearance from the keeper presented Darren McGough with an opening for Tranent but he couldn’t keep his shot on target. Cauther’s McLaughlin was next to find himself with a chance after Anton McKillop’s corner for Tranent was quickly cleared, but a timely intervention from Gareth Gray put a stop to his threat.

There was still little between the sides when with 32 minutes played Tranent were reduced to 10 men, defender Ryan Hall seeing red for grabbing the ball with both hands after he’d lost his balance under pressure from two visiting attackers. Once Hall had left the field of play, Sneddon stepped up to despatch the spot kick past Inglis and give the visitors the lead.

Brown should have doubled their lead with the goal at his mercy minutes later but spurned the opportunity by miskicking, much to Tranent’s relief. The same player forced another good save from Inglis before the break, so West Calder went in for their half-time refreshments holding a slender one-goal lead against the 10 men of Tranent.

Tranent played with just one man up front in the second half but they performed with a resilience often absent this season, with their defence doggedly denying the visitors the crucial second goal they required to more or less seal victory and Inglis in goal in inspired form.

Actual highlights were few and far between but the manner in which Tranent applied themselves can only have pleased manager Small – they were rewarded for their effort with 20 minutes to go when from McKillop’s corner from the right saw the visitors’ goalscorer Sneddon slicing the ball past his own keeper.

Things got a little livelier after this, with Inglis called on again with several more good saves, while Euan Vallance put a chance well wide when briefly an unlikely Tranent winner appeared a possibility. In the end, a goal apiece meant a point each, a not unfair reflection on events.

There’s no competitive football for Tranent this weekend but boss Small hopes a friendly can be arranged, before they finish off 2014/15 with another home game next week, Blackburn United their visitors.