Bonnyrigg's Dean Brett is expecting Tranent to have wised up

Bonnyrigg Rose defender Dean Brett expects a better showing from his hometown club Tranent when they visit New Dundas Park tomorrow after suffering a hammering earlier in the season.

Dean Brett believes Bonnyrigg can make it all the way to League Two

Rose won 8-1 against sorry Tranent in a midweek East of Scotland Conference B clash back in August in one of their performances of the season so far under former manager David White.

Then a coach with Tranent’s under 20s side, Brett revealed that the build up to the match was dominated by talk of how the Foresters Park side were going to stop Bonnyrigg. He reckons a change in mindset would ensure a closer game tomorrow.

“It’ll be a lot tougher than the first game against them this season, it should be a good game,” said Brett.

“They are a good team. You can say we are better than them but they are a good team; they are probably the second or third best team in the league so it will be tough. The pitches are dodgy this time of year so it will be a right battle.

“They were too worried about us last time. I took their 20s team at the time and all I heard was how they were going to play against us two weeks before it. They tried to set up to stop us and I don’t think they realised how good we were and I think they got a bit of a fright.

“The pace and the energy from us – from an East of Scotland team it was incredible that night. We were 6-0 up after 30 or 40 minutes, I think they were a bit shocked.

“They were too busy trying to suss us out than trying to play their normal game. If you try to match us or match against us, I think we are too good for anybody in the league. You see that in most games.

“Hopefully they have learned their lesson and it’s a lot better game.”

Brett was a top transfer target for then Berwick Rangers boss Robbie Horn in the summer, who returned to Rose as manager last month, as he offered the 26-year-old a return to the SPFL.

Rather than earn a move back to League Two or above, Brett’s aim is to do it with Bonnyrigg, who recently applied for their SFA licence, by winning the East of Scotland League and the subsequent round-robin games with the other conference winners, before navigating their way to the Lowland League and claiming that title.

Brett continued: “I spoke with him [Horn] in the summer and I did think about it. It would be good going up and playing harder games again, but when it came to it I chose Bonnyrigg... it’s just along the road.

“I’m just season to season. It would be good to win this, get into the Lowland League and win that, then we would be in the big time. It would be good to do it together and I think all the players would want that. I’m not that hungry anymore to go back to those leagues, I’ve played in every one, and Bonnyrigg would do well in any of them.”

Tranent assistant boss Kevin Haynes says his side will need a bit of luck to salvage anything tomorrow, but insisted they will be ready to prove a point.

“It’s a massive challenge,” said Haynes. “For me, Bonnyrigg are the best non-league side, certainly this side of the country or outwith the Highland League. They just know how to win games, they are so experienced and organised. We’ll have to be at our very best and get a bit of luck.

“If the players have got anything about them they’ll be wanting to rectify that. They’ll be wanting to put a better show on for themselves and their own pride.

“They’ve got to go and prove a point that Bonnyrigg aren’t seven goals ahead of them on a normal day, they’ve got to have that desire to show it was a one-off result.”