Late winner from Lister gives Bathgate chance of silverware

Bathgate boss Graeme Love was delighted to make it through after a major test against the South Division side, saying: "Tranent were very dangerous and we're just happy to be in a final. When they scored first I thought, 'what's happening here?'. Luckily, we got back level quickly.

"In the end, though, I thought we deserved to go through.

"We never gave up and I'm proud of us getting to a cup final."

Tranent's line-up was packed with experience with the likes of Paul Parkin and Kenny Munro in the full-back positions.

And it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 12th minute thanks to a stunner from Steven Tait.

Brian White played a long ball down the right wing to Alan Horne. He turned inside and laid the ball off to Tait and his first-time volley from 25 yards flew past the keeper into the net for a stunning opener.

Bathgate responded and, within a couple of minutes, they were level with the equaliser – another super goal.

A four-man flowing move down the right wing ended with the ball played to Brian McColligan. He wasted no time in driving the ball through a forest of players into the back of the net.

Bathgate then took the lead for the first time in the 28th minute. Fraser Love took a corner from the right out to a waiting Steven Payne just outside the box. He rifled in a superb, low shot which again went through a group of players into the net.

But if Bathgate thought the game was won they were badly mistaken. Tranent pulled level with a great goal from Mel Graham. With ten minutes of the first half remaining, the ball was played up to him just outside the Bathgate box, he turned his marker beautifully before volleying a right-foot effort into the top corner to bring the side in level at the break.

Tranent came out for the second half full of confidence but, gradually, Bathgate found their feet again and striker Lister was at the heart of most moves up front. They had chances to take the lead again but found Tranent keeper Sinclair Inglis in inspired form.

The game looked like it was heading for a penalty shoot-out but a winning goal came in the 75th minute.

Bathgate keeper Andy Carlin threw the ball out to Payne, who played a long ball up the right wing to substitute Brian McPhee and his near-post cross was just right for Lister to flick it into the net with the slightest of touches.

At the finish, it was a relieved Bathgate who left the field. At no point were Tranent outclassed by their Super League opponents, with their manager Brian Johnstone rightly proud of his players.

He said: "We took the game to Bathgate and were a match for them for the 90 minutes.

"We had some terrific performances from our lads and our expectations now are a lot higher than a couple of years ago. I gave our players ten out of ten for effort and performance."

Bathgate will face Musselburgh Athletic in the final after they overcame Hill of Beath 3-0 in the other semi-final last night.

After both sides had carved out chances in an entertaining first half at Keir's Park, the visitors took the lead five minutes before the break when Adam Nelson sent over a corner and Danny Kelly got a touch to the ball and, even though the home side had a man on the post, the ball rolled over the line.

Twenty minutes into the second half, Musselburgh got their second when they were awarded a free-kick 20 yards out and Nelson stepped up to fire the ball into the top corner past the despairing dive of keeper Craig Danks.

Ten minutes from time, substitute Matthew Doherty played an inch-perfect pass into the path of Kelly, who slotted the ball low into the corner of the net.

Musselburgh manager David McGlynn said: "I am very proud of the players. We've reached two cup finals now – against Bathgate and Linlithgow – and we're very much looking forward to these matches."