22nd May 2022. Tranent 7 St Cuthbert’s Wanderers 0

 

Today is the first day of the playoffs for promotion the the Lowland League so I headed out to Tranent for their game against St. Cuthbert’s Wanderers. The okay-offs are between the winners of the East of Scotland Premier League, Tranent, the South of Scotland League, St Cuthbert Wanderers, and the West of Scotland Oremier League, Darvel. Each team has one gphome and won away match in the three team tournament. In the event of a drawn match penalties will decide the winners with a further point being awarded to the winners of the shoot-out. I walked down to Haymarket to catch the 13.00 104 bus to Tranent. When the bus got to Abbeyhill Alex got on and we were chatting till we got to Tranent. We got off in the High Street around 14.00 and Alex went to a cafe for lunch. I had eaten before I left home so decided to head for the ground where the gates were still shut. It was then I checked on Twitter and found out the kickoff was at 15.00. I decided to go for a walk and returned to the ground about 14.30 where I paid my £4 admission charge. I met Jim in the ground who had bought me a £1 programme and we took up position on the perimeter fence opposite the covered part of the terracing. Jim saw Alan, an Inverness fan, standing on his own behind the goals and wandered round to bring him to join us. Alan was wearinfpg an ICT jacket and a St. Cuthbert’s scarf. He has got the scarf from the St Cuthbert’s keeper who he has known for a number of years.

Tranent under manger, and former Hearts player, Calum Elliot had won the East of Scotland League Premier Division on goal difference from close rivals Penicuik. A twenty-one goal margin ahead of Penicuik shows where Tranents strength lies with several large victories during the league campaign. With strikers like Wayne Mcntosh, Martin Maughan, Rory Currie and Kris Renton, backed by creative players like Jamie Dochorty and Ben Miller, Tranent never have a problem scoring goals. St Cuthberts won the South of Scotland League by nine points from closet rivals Threave Rovers. The majority of the St Cuthberts players are based in the West of Scotland albeit they travel weekly to Kirkcudbright to train. There has been talk that manager Jordan Williamson is being considered for the managers role at Lowland league Dalbeattie Star and if this is the case he would be likely to take several of the St Cuthbert's squad to his new club. St Cuthbert's have listed their team line-ups on their web page for matches this season but for some reason details had not been put up of the line-up for todays  game by the following Wednesday. The only player I could clearly identify was goalkeeper Jake Gemmell.

Tranent started the game attacking and McIntosh missed an early chance at the near post putting the ball wide. Alex and his fellow QoS fan Graham joined us as the game continued. St Cuthbert's tried to get forward but Kelby Mason in the Tranent goal had little to do. Tranent finally took the lead in twenty-six minutes. Sean Murphy passed to Jamie Doherty who cut inside from the left. His attempted shot from the edge of the penalty box was deflected up in the air of a defender back towards his own goal. McIntosh jumped to head the ball goal-wards but Fleming got down to push the ball away. The ball however fell at the feet of McIntosh who shot into the empty net. A second goal came in forty minutes. Sean Rutherford played a one-two with Docherty on the left. The full-back then cut the ball back from near the byeline into the six yard box where Ben Miller arrived to score. McIntosh scored his second two minutes later when Gemmell fumbled a Rory Currie shot allowing McIntosh to stroke the ball into the net.

Tranent scored a fourth three minutes after halftime. Docherty was again involved racing from the halfway line with the ball at his feet. He cut inside to the edge of the penalty area and fired an excellent shot past Gemmell into the top of the net. McIntosh scored his hat-trick in sixty-seven minutes. St Cuthbert's could only clear a cross from the right to McIntosh on the edge of the penalty box where he shot low past Gemmell for a fifth goal for the home side. Minutes later McIntosh was replaced by Martin Maughan and left the field to applause from the home fans. Maugham was signed from Leith Athletic earlier in the season, known as the "Bingham Bull" he was and still is a regular scorer in the East of Scotland League. Maughan scored his first in eighty-one minutes. A defender was short with a pass-back from the Tranent left. Maughan nipped in and took the ball past the diving Gemmell before shooting into the empty net. Maughan added a second five minutes later when he dived to head home a cross form the right on the edge of the six yard box. The final result of 7-0 was not unexpected given the higher standard in the east of Scotland League compared the South of Scotland League. However give St. Cuthbert their due as they did not resort to time-wating or bad tackles to stop their hosts. I cannot remember a player being yellow card in the game which is unusual.  

After the final whistle Alex and I walked to the High Street where a 104 back to Edinburgh was due in eight minutes. We walked to to the next stop and caught the bus when it arrived there. The journey was spoiled by a crowd of kids on the bus vaping but thankfully they got of at Wallyford. Alex got off at Wallyford to walk home from their while I continued to Atholl Crescent and walked from there getting home around 17.50 

Teams

Tranent; Mason, Rutherford, Miller, Bauld, Murphy, Docherty, Currie, Anderson, McIntosh, Donaldson, Somerville.

Subs: Watson, Greig, Maughan. 

St Cuthberts Wanderers: Gemmell, N/A