CALUM Elliot has challenged his Tranent Juniors side not to “fall at the final hurdle” ahead of a championship-defining weekend.
The manager made the rallying call ahead of the must-win clash with Jeanfield Swifts tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.
The county side sit top of the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division alongside Penicuik Athletic on 77 points, with one game to play.
The Belters’ goal difference is 20 better than their rivals but they know any slip-up could cost them the chance of promotion to the Scottish Lowland Football League.
Elliot said: “It is a game where if we win, it is as simple as that, we win the league.
“What a position to be in.
“It is now a case of stepping up and delivering, and producing what has got to be a top performance on the day to get the result we are desperate to get.
“We have come a long way as a group. This is the closest Tranent has been to winning the league.
“That is great but it means nothing if you fall at the final hurdle.
“Penicuik will be the same and they have won Conference A before.”
In what is likely to be a tense weekend, Tranent host fourth-placed Jeanfield, while their Midlothian rivals welcome third-placed Linlithgow Rose.
A bumper crowd is expected at the 2.30pm kick-off at Foresters Park, as Tranent look to secure their place in a three-way play-off contest with South of Scotland Football League champions St Cuthbert Wanderers and West of Scotland Football League winners Darvel for a chance to reach the fifth tier of Scottish football.
Elliot’s team have been on a near-flawless run since the turn of the year, picking up nine wins and four draws.
Two of those draws came against Linlithgow – and on both occasions Tranent had found themselves trailing as the game entered the closing stages.
A Jamie Docherty penalty in East Lothian at the end of last month and an own goal at Prestonfield on Saturday saw Tranent pick up vital points.
But Elliot has warned his players that they cannot keep battling back from behind if they want to achieve their goals.
Speaking on Monday, he said: “Credit to the boys, they stepped up again and had been written off.
“That is what they have done in recent weeks but I don’t think we can do it again this week.
“It is so important in training that the preparation is spot on.
“My job is to make sure preparation is meticulous.
“I will watch Jeanfield on Wednesday [when they play Sauchie] and make sure we go in and produce the performance we need to get the result we are desperate to get.”
The draw at Linlithgow came after Tranent had trailed 3-1 going into the closing stages, before a close-range finish from Rory Currie and then the own goal pulled them level.
Tranent players rushed into the net to try to get the ball back in a bid to seal an unlikely win.
Elliot said: “I never noticed that! I was busy reshuffling the team because we had only one defender on the pitch.
“The boys showed immense character – Kieran Somerville played three or four different positions on Saturday.
“We had to go and chase the game.”
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