ORMISTON Primrose players are being urged to keep their heads up as the club prepares for next season.
The county side have endured a tough campaign and only sit off the bottom of the East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) due a points deduction for Edinburgh Community.
However, they were just seconds away from extending their advantage over the Capital club as they entered stoppage time with the score at 1-1 against Edinburgh United – only for the opposition to score a late penalty.
Ormiston boss Michael Cranston felt his side had performed well in the game on Saturday afternoon.
He said: “It was a very sore one to take. It was a good game and the boys played really well.
“It was disheartening but I am not disappointed in the performance that the boys put in.
“It was a 93rd-minute penalty but I have no complaints.
“The defender took the boy out in the box and it was an easy decision for the referee to make.”
Alex Black’s first-half goal had Ormiston in front at New Recreation Park.
But the visitors levelled with 20 minutes left and went on to take all three points in their quest for promotion.
Cranston encouraged his team to take the positives from the performance as they chase a first point since mid-December.
He said: “I said to them that they will feel bad just now but the performance levels have definitely improved on the last few weeks.
“The training has been a lot better and when you train well, you go in and put in a good performance like we did, especially against an Edinburgh United team doing so well in the league.
“They are trying to push for promotion.”
The club endured a year of transition last year as both Guy Kerr and Mark Smith managed the club.
Cranston took the helm of Ormiston, who were relegated to the EoSFL Third Division two years ago, at the beginning of the season.
🟡⚫ NEXT MATCH ⚫🟡
We're on the road this weekend as we travel through the west to face Livingston.
🏆 EoSFL Third Division
🆚 @Livingston_utd
🗓️ Saturday 14th March
🕝 2:30pm
🏟 Station Park
📍 68-74 Deans South, Livingston, EH54 8QU
💷 Adults £7, Concessions £4 pic.twitter.com/woCdeuiN2n— Ormiston Primrose Football Club (@ormifootball) March 11, 2026
The former Berwick Rangers coach, who was also involved in girls’ and women’s football with Hibernian and Spartans, said: “It has been ups and downs.
“It is the same as always where the commitment is there from the guys and that is good and pleasing to see.
“When you have a good training session, you take that into the game.
“Sometimes the results are not going your way but we are still working hard and preparing for next season.”
Next up for Cranston’s team is a trip to West Lothian to face Livingston United. The Station Park club sit second in the table and look on course for promotion to the Second Division.
The two sides have already met twice this campaign, with Livingston United emerging 4-3 winners in August before a 4-0 victory last month.
Cranston said: “We have played them a couple of times and they are a physical, strong team but also a good footballing team as well.
“We will be trying to play our own game, trying to be positive and move on from the last result where we got beat by them a couple of weeks ago.
“There is plenty we can learn from, a lot of mistakes, and hopefully we can put them right.”
