THE managers of Tranent Juniors and Haddington Athletic have urged their teams to keep focus – as they could be crowned league champions on Saturday.
Calum Elliot’s Tranent side sit two points clear at the top of the East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) Premier Division and could wrap up the title with victory over third-placed Linlithgow Rose – if Penicuik Athletic also slip up against rock-bottom Camelon Juniors.
It is a similar story in EoSFL First Division Conference A, where the Hi Hi can win promotion with victory over Kennoway Star Hearts, coupled with Leith Athletic failing to beat sixth-placed Thornton Hibs.
However, both managers were quick to play down the chances of Champagne corks being popped at 5pm on Saturday.
Elliot told Courier Sport: “I expect Penicuik to win.
“It’s not even something I have thought about in all honesty.”
Tranent face a challenging end to the campaign, facing third-placed Linlithgow and fourth-placed Jeanfield Swifts over the remaining two weekends.
Four points from those two games – barring a massive change in goal difference – would be enough to see them finish top of the table.
That would then open the door to face South of Scotland Football League champions St Cuthbert Wanderers and the as-yet-uncrowned West of Scotland Football League champions – either Darvel or Auchinleck Talbot – in a round robin competition to gain promotion to the Scottish Lowland Football League.
Linlithgow and Tranent shared four goals at Foresters Park last Tuesday evening and Elliot was anticipating another tough tie, this time in West Lothian, this weekend.
He said: “They are a good side, a very good side.
“We will not set up any differently.
“We will try to cause them as many problems as we can and I imagine they will set up exactly the same as they have done since their new manager took over.
“We will do our best to get something out of the game.”
Jamie Docherty’s late, late penalty had salvaged a point for the county side against Linlithgow in the midweek meeting.
That came after Elliot’s team had found themselves 2-0 down deep into the second half.
The manager was full of praise for his striker, who kept his nerve to ensure the points were shared.
He said: “It is not easy in those circumstances to have the composure and bravery to step up and take it.
“He took it well and hit it cleanly. Even if the goalkeeper goes the right way, he does not save it.
“Fair play to him, he showed great character.”
Linlithgow will have a large say in the destination of the league title as they travel to Penicuik next Saturday (May 14).
Meanwhile, Scott Bonar was keen for his team to block out any discussion of what was happening at Peffermill and instead concentrate on defeating their Fife opposition.
He said: “We are just focusing on ourselves and what happens at Leith will happen.
“We are just totally focused and it is in our own hands.
“If Leith did drop points, it would be amazing to win the league on Saturday but you cannot think like that.
“I’ve done this for years and won lots of league titles, although at a different level.
“It is the same principle, it is the same mindset and same characteristics you are trying to put into the team.
“It is the same focus and intensity – the only difference is that it is a different group of players.
“This is the time where there has got to be zero complacency and to get the job done, or all those games before mean nothing if you don’t win the league.”
Kennoway come into the game with their own ambitions as they look to finish in the top seven and secure a place in next season’s First Division.
Currently, they sit seventh on goal difference and Bonar was confident it would be a tough contest. He said: “They will be dangerous opponents.
“They are going for the top seven, they have not downed tools, and it is a hard place to go.
“It is going to be a right difficult game and we have got to approach it in the right manner.
“If we can come away with three points then we can start to think about winning league titles.”
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