Football: Broxburn eye title as Tranent boss admits his side have blown it

Tranent were red-hot favourites to secure the crown as well as the sole promotion spot but manager Brian Johnston reckons they've "blown it" after dropping five points in their last two league games.

The East Lothian side, who entertain West Calder tomorrow in their final fixture, still lead the race by a point but Broxburn have two games in hand.

Sauchie and Spartans are still in the hunt as well but they've got to play each other and would also probably need the two teams above them to lose all their remaining games in order to steal the title.

Broxburn are definitely the team in the driving seat and tomorrow they're away to Livingston before bringing down the curtain on their campaign at home to Dalkeith and, finally, Spartans.

Ironically, Livingston and Dalkeith are the two teams Tranent slipped up against recently and Pittman is also expecting tough tests from both of them.

"The boys have worked hard to get us in this position but the toughest bit still lies ahead," said the former East Fife, Dundee and Partick Thistle defender.

"It is good to be able to see the finishing line but getting over it is another thing and we certainly won't be getting any favours in our remaining matches. I'm sure there will be a few twists and turns to come – we'll have to work hard for everything we want to get from those games."

While Pittman played at a high level in club football for a lengthy period of time and also made three appearances for the United States, he says leading Broxburn to the title would be one of his proudest achievements.

"Apart from my stuff with the national team, I'd say it would be the best thing I've done in the game, especially as we've not been playing at our home ground this season," he said.

That's because Albyn Park has been undergoing redevelopment and the manager would love Broxburn's first game back there to be as a Premier Division side next season.

"That would be the icing on the cake," he admitted. "If things don't work as we hope they will in the next three games, then we will maybe have to look at strengthening the squad for next season.

"But I believe Broxburn have been trying to get out of this league for five years now and, thanks to a couple of bad results for Tranent in their last two games, we are determined to get across that finishing line in first place."

Tranent will be hoping to finish their campaign on a high against West Calder at Forrester Park and then wait to see if 55 points will be good enough to claim the crown.

"I think we've blown it, to be honest," admitted Johnston. "Last year 55 points was good enough to win the title but this season that might only be good enough to get into the top three, which shows how tight this league can be."

After going on a nine-match unbeaten run in the league, Tranent were definitely in pole position but a 2-0 defeat at Broxburn last month blew the race wide open.

Johnston then saw his side suffer an untimely blow when goalkeeper Sinclair Inglis sustained a freak injury in training and he's missed the last four games.

"David Bauld, a 19-year-old who hadn't played for three years, has done his best and I'm certainly not blaming him but we could really have done with a more experienced goalkeeper at this stage of the season," conceded Johnston.

"All we can do now is go and beat West Calder to put pressure on them and wait and see what happens. Broxburn have still got Spartans to play and that will be a difficult match for them.

"Livingston have also got a new manager so you never know what might happen in that game or the one against Dalkeith.

"We missed a multitude of chances against them as well as a penalty but, fair play to Dalkeith, they dug in and celebrated at the end as though they'd won the World Cup.

"That was because we'd set the standards by being the league leaders but all credit to Steve Pittman and his players as they are a good side and managed to hang in there all the time we've been at the top of the table.

"Whatever happens over the next week or two, I think it will be testament to Tranent that everyone at the club will be gutted if we do miss out given where we were two years ago. People may say we've splashed the cash but, in truth, we've balanced the books and, in doing so, now have some good assets on the books."

Tranent also have a Fife & Lothians Cup semi-final to look forward to against either Bathgate or Kirkcaldy after crushing Livingston earlier in the week.

Sauchie and Spartans are both away tomorrow, at Dalkeith and Harthill respectively, and both need wins to stay in the title race.