Bradley Barrett shows maturity beyond years to win King Cup for Tranent

Bradley Barrett is mobbed after scoring the winner

The ex-Berwick Rangers kid was the best player on the park as he terrorised the Bonnyrigg Rose defence all afternoon, with the composure he showed to net the winner against the East of Scotland champions representing that of a striker way beyond his tender years.

“It feels amazing, the team dug in deep especially to go to extra-time and it was a great feeling to score the winner. It doesn’t get much better than that, especially in my first season in East of Scotland football, it’s been a great first season I’ve had,” said Barrett.

The youngster was almost running on empty after an epic final in which Bonnyrigg took the lead early in the second half through Kerr Young’s header. Tranent drew level with 15 minutes remaining when Dean Whitson got on the end of Ben Miller’s corner-kick to equalise.

Barrett’s sublime finish in the early stages of extra-time put Tranent in control, however they suffered a blow when striker Jamie Devlin picked up a second booking in a challenge with Rose goalkeeper Bryan Young, only for Rose’s Ewan Moyes to walk just minutes later when he was involved in an altercation with Ian Black.

Barrett would go on to win two penalties for his side, with Rose’s Neil Martyniuk twice bringing him down, and twice Rose keeper Young produced the heroics to keep his team in it with saves from Grant Nelson and Mark McGovern.  Winning silverware this season was never on the agenda for Tranent boss Calvin Shand who joined in February, taking over the reins from Max Christie at a club who have become accustomed to winning trophies with this now their third cup triumph in three seasons.

“Bonnyrigg have set the standard in recent years and all the other clubs are trying to get to that level. We rode our luck at times, but then we missed two penalties but the performance doesn’t matter, it’s the result,” said Shand.

“The players have been brilliant since I’ve come in, they’ve implemented everything I have asked and they deserve it.”

It was a case of one game too many for Bonnyrigg, with this their second cup final defeat in six days after losing to East Kilbride last Sunday in the SFA South Region Challenge Cup.

The matches have taken their toll on Robbie Horn’s squad, who have also had to deal with the uncertainty of what league they will be playing in next season given they expected to line up in the Lowland League but were denied their SFA licence due to not having floodlights.

There may be light at the end of the tunnel yet though, for the New Dundas Park men who erected floodlights on Friday afternoon, as the Evening News understands a second inspection may be conducted by the SFA with Rose now believing they fully meet the criteria to obtain an entry-level licence.

Rose assistant David Burrell praised his side for giving it their all in the 50th match of a gruelling campaign.

He said: “We looked tired at the end, but I can’t fault the boys’ effort, until the very last minute they were still trying to get an equaliser. Playing extra-time on Wednesday and again on Saturday just took its toll.”

Tranent: Inglis, Reid (Black), Gray (Rutherford), Whitson, McKenzie, Hawkins, Berry, Miller, Devlin, Nelson (McGovern), Barrett.

Bonnyrigg Rose: B Young, Brett (Moyes), Brown, K Young, Hoskins, Martyniuk, Swanson (Nelson), Currie, Lough (McGachie), Horne (Murrell), Gray