As the first to endure a week’s inactivity due to the odd number of teams in the South Division, Tranent had started their 2015/16 campaign seven days later than their peers, though any gripes about the situation were soon dispelled by a highly encouraging 5-0 home win over Pumpherston Juniors a fortnight ago.

Boss Gary Small was pleased to get a first competitive victory under his managerial belt, but recognised the task facing his team last week at Easthouses Lily might prove considerably tougher. Easthouses hadn’t had representation in the junior game since 1969 until the Lily decided a switch was a better bet than remaining in the East of Scotland League, in which they’d finished runners-up last season.

Tranent made just one change to the XI who had started against Pumpherston, with an under-the-weather Kenny Fisher replaced by Kenny McMillan, scorer of a hat-trick off the bench the previous week.

Easthouses may have started the game as joint leaders of the South Division after winning their opening two games, but within a minute of kick-off they found themselves a goal behind as Tranent’s young midfielder Hamish Hunter opened his competitive goalscoring account in junior football.

The visitors were on the front foot and playing some good football against a strong, hard-working Easthouses team – their positivity was rewarded when in the 20th minute defender Jamie Paterson headed in a second goal. McMillan had the ball in the net for Tranent for a third time but the referee chalked it off for offside, dubiously in some observers’ opinion and that of the striker himself.

Easthouses worked themselves into the game more and Sinclair Inglis in the Tranent goal was responsible for two or three fine saves as the visitors maintained their two-goal lead until half-time.

There were one or two openings in the second half as Tranent attempted to put the game out of sight, with assistant manager Joe Murray especially unfortunate when he lobbed the Lily keeper, only for the ball to bounce in front of goal and over the bar.

Easthouses grabbed a goal through Russell with an hour played and this put an entirely different complexion on the remainder of the game, with Tranent dealing well with an increasingly hard fought and physical contest. The visitors’ defence repelled Easthouses successfully and so joined them on the six-point mark, just behind early leaders Dunbar United.

Stoneyburn Juniors visit Foresters Park tomorrow for Tranent’s third league fixture, having won once and lost twice in their league games to date. The West Lothian outfit have won the three previous meetings between the teams, including their last two visits to Foresters Park, and Small’s men are keen to redress the balance.