Tranent boss won't panic despite nightmare start

BRIAN JOHNSTON is refusing to hit the panic button despite seeing his Tranent side suffer a nightmare start to the South Division season.

After just missing out on the title last season, Tranent have lost their opening four games in the current campaign and are propping up the table along with Pumpherston.

Tomorrow, Tranent are away to Spartans Juniors but Johnston insists it won't be long before his side are starting to win again.

"Our problem at the moment is getting guys back from injury and last Saturday I was virtually dragging people off the street to make up the numbers," he said. "I'm trying to get a couple of players on loan but it feels a bit like taking two steps back at the moment to try and move forward three steps.

"We've not become a bad team overnight - we've just been unlucky with injuries - and I am sure we will turn the corner."

Spartans' decent start to the season came unstuck last Saturday when they crashed at improving Haddington.

"Spartans will be hurting from that but, at the same time, we will be going there looking for our first win," added Johnston.

"We are notoriously slow starters - after nine games last season we only had 11 points.

"Eight of the 11 players that started last Saturday's game could still be playing under-21 football this season so we are going through a transitional period again. And, in the South League, that's not easy as it is a dog-eat-dog environment."