Tranent 5 (Docherty 4mins & 38mins, Wringe 20mins, Lander 28mins, Greig 88mins)
Blackburn United 0

Within five minutes of kick-off the hosts were ahead when a mix-up in the United defence saw a fortunate ricochet allowed space for a left to right delivery that found DOCHERTY arriving on the right to cut inside John Drummond and smash an effort across Craig Saunders and into the net. Watson then manouvered across the eighteen yard line before hitting a shot over. Blackburn, though, really should have been level in ten minutes when David Howe’s free-kick found Keiran Sweeney in good space plumb in the centre of goal but his header somehow ended up past the right hand post and Tranent didn’t waste any time in punishing the miss, WRINGE making a blindside run to earn the room to clip past an exposed Saunders. Eight minutes later a quick free-kick saw Watson race into a suspiciously offside position but with play waved on he had the time to square to LANDER who made no mistake. The pick of the first half of goals then arrived six minutes before the interval, DOCHERTY stepping past challenge after challenge before smashing a beauty into the top corner from just inside the box.

With the three points secure, the Foresters Park men might have scored a fifth on fifty eight minutes but Watsons fine run and cross found no takers and six minutes later an even better chance was scorned, Saunders brilliantly saving Docherty’s penalty. John Drummond and Andy McQuillan then combined to move the ball down the Blackburn left but McQuillan’s fizzing delivery was just out of the reach of Richie Hutton. Twenty minutes from time United’s penalty appeals were waved away by the referee when a determined run into the box by Hutton was blocked and when the ball broke to Sweeney he looked to be barged to the ground in the act of shooting. With just two minutes of the ninety remaining Tranent found their fifth and final goal of the afternoon, GREIG getting in behind a flat back-line on the right to whip a cross-cum shot in that was helped on it’s way into the net by a stretching Martin Lawrie boot.

Blackburn United line-up: Saunders, Sayers, Drummond, Lawrie, Millar, Cameron, Hutton (Baillie 77), Howe (Duncan 77), Ferris (McQuillan 55), Sweeney (Fleming 77), McClung Subs (not used): Young, King

Tranent line-up: Swain, Stevenson, Rutherford, Whitson, Lander, Miller, Docherty, Watson, Wringe, Murphy, Donaldson Subs: Thomson, Knox, Greig, Anderson, Jones, Jackson

Referee: Mr. Brent Falconer
Assistants: Mr. Finlay Anderson & Mr. Darren Robertson

Saturday 19th December 2020 – East of Scotland Premier League

Tranent Juniors 3 Blackburn United 1
Lander 33, Paterson 70, Thomson 72 Watson 49

Blackburn travelled to unbeaten league leaders Tranent looking to cause an upset and put some much needed points on the board. Tranent however, had other ideas and right from the start pushed Blackburn back. Ricky Miller, once a Burnie player a long time ago, headed over in the opening minutes from a corner and then Dean Whitson let fly from distance which was beaten away by Gavin King.

Blackburn found it difficult to get a foot hold in the game and attacks were few and far between. On 24 minutes Adam Watson crossed to Kyle Lander but his header rebounded off the bar. A few minutes later there was a bit of a stramash in the box when a Whitson effort from a corner was cleared off the line, a second attempt was blocked by King and third attempt was deflected wide as Blackburn defended desperately. King then held a Kayne Paterson effort before inevitable to opener came on 33 minutes, when a cross by Adam Watson was knocked goalwards by Rhys Craigie, but took a deflection into the path of Kyle Lander who rolled the ball into the net.

Blackburn started to edge their way into the game but Dominic Kane limped off just before the half time whistle brought an end to a torrid first half.

The second half got underway with Blackburn looking to create more problems for Tranent and they did that with only four minutes gone. Marley Redfern was sent clear on the left, he cut inside into the box where he was brought down by Ricky Miller and the referee quickly pointed to the spot. Justin Watson stepped up to level the scores.

On the hour mark Blackburn should have taken the lead, a Hutton long ball was flicked on by Brian Ross which sent Laurie Devine clear, however Alasdair Adams done well to block his attempt and also gathered Ross’s follow up. Five minutes later an almost identical chance was again created, Laurie Devine again finding himself free behind the Tranent rear guard after running onto a Redfern through ball however the ball seemed to get caught under his feet after he rounded Adams, he laid the ball back to Watson but his first time shot was beaten away by Adams.

Those missed chances were punished on 70 minutes when a cross into the box seemed to take a slight deflection which deceived Drummond and fell into the path of Paterson who tapped it home from close range with their first real chance of the second half, then two minutes later Steven Thomson on the right combined with Watson inside the box before firing a shot goalwards which Drummond half blocked which sent the ball towards the far corner of King’s net.

Tranent then had time to miss a penalty with nine minutes remaining when Paterson’s spot kick was well saved by King, after Drummond had bundled over Moffat.

Tranent: Alasdair Adams, Ciaran McKenzie (Lewis Hawkins 72), Aaran Ponton, Richard Miller, Dean Whitson, Steven Thomson, Adam Watson, Sean Murphy, Kayne Paterson, Rhys Craigie, Kyle Lander (Owen Renton 80). Unused subs: Jack Chesser, Gary Hamilton, Ben Reilly, Ian Moffat.

Blackburn United: Gavin King, Richard Hutton, Kyle McClung, James Mildren, John Drummond, Michael Browne, Dominic Kane (Brian Ross 44), Justin Watson (Paddy Queen 80), Laurie Devine, Danny Campbell, Marley Redfern. Unused subs: Marc Smith, David Howe, Jordan Devine, Craig Saunders.