McLennan seeking a winning formula for Linlithgow Rose

The 21-year-old chemistry student, nicknamed the Angel-faced Assassin by supporters at Prestonfield, has lived in the West Lothian town all his life and is now a winger for the side. The Cup fever he once experienced as a young teenager in 2002 with his father from the terracing has now ratcheted up a good few degrees and left him a virtual recluse.

"It's getting difficult to leave the house. A five-minute walk down to the shops is taking an hour with all the neighbours , stopping me and wishing me well for Sunday," McLennan explained. "Even my pals are a problem. All we talk about is Sunday's game."

Not that the youngster is complaining unduly about being in the spotlight as the final against Largs Thistle at Rugby Park.

"For me living in Linlithgow is great and playing for the club couldn't be better. I had two years at Clyde before I came here but I've never played in such a big game before. I hope the game is as good as the hype surrounding it," he explained. "The players in the squad who have been here before are trying to calm everyone down but when you go home it starts up again. At least when I go to the university I can escape from the pressure."

With the big game being on a Sunday, it has also meant McLennan has had to reshuffle his private life.

"Saturday night will be a real test for me," he laughed. "Normally I'm out enjoying myself but it's an early bed for me this week. All my family and friends will be going to the game and that puts extra pressure on me, but hopefully I can handle it."

If Largs Thistle are an unknown quantity to some fans of the East Region Juniors scene, they certainly are not to the Linlithgow squad who have done their research well.

"Largs are a side we have a great respect for," McLennan explained. "They have gone on a run in the Scottish which most clubs would be delighted with. They beat Bonnyrigg in an earlier round – and they were the Super League title holders. Then in the semi-finals they knocked out a strong Clydebank team who were in the final last season.

"I feel, though, if we play to our best I'm confident we can win the game. This season in our run up to the final we've played ten games including the two semi-final legs. That's a lot of games when there are only seven rounds in the whole competition. That's why are lagging behind in our League campaign."

Perhaps he should consider himself lucky that they had a bye in the first round...

"It's been a mixed fortune for me this season in the competition," McLennan went on as he described Linlithgow's cup run. "Against Whittlets I gave away a penalty but made amends by scoring against Kelty. Then I was lucky enough to get our goal in the first game against Bathgate. That was a late one but it was very special. That Bathgate games were unbelievable. The pressure and the tension during the games was immense.

"I've never experienced a game like that before and for hours afterwards couldn't come back down to earth."

McLennan is not tall, but he has a distinctly wiry ability to tease defenders on either wing, part of the reason for that unusual nickname. His low centre of gravity, like the legendary Jimmy Johnstone, forces any defence to be very wary of knocking him over with the merest nudge. He can score goals as well as Bathgate will tell you to their cost. They were winning the first game at Bathgate 1-1 until McLennan took control and it was his equaliser that gave Linlithgow a replay the following week which they won.

His goals against Kelty were also vital to the team as they gathered pace for the run-in to the end of the season.

Mamager Dave Baikie has no preference where he plays the winger. At times he's been on either wing or tucked in to a five-man midfield. He is always a danger to any defence. In the recent Super League game at Lochee United before they met in the Scottish Cup semi-final he was a sub who came on with 20 minutes to go. His introduction transformed the side. In the space of the last 15 minutes Linlithgow came from a goal down to win that game 3-1 and the reason for that transformation was McLennan.

It's the other players in the squad who are most appreciative of the Angel-faced Assassin, though.

Club captain Danny Smith knows what qualities he has. "Roddy can win games on his own for us, that's how special he is. On his present form it may be difficult for boss Dave Baikie to hold on to McLennan. Senior clubs are always on the lookout for someone who can terrorise a defence and McLennan fits the bill," he said.

And if Linlithgow do lift the famous Junior Cup trophy on Sunday afternoon, this young man's stock will rise still further.