East of Scotland: Third win on the bounce lifts Newtongrange Star off bottom of the table

Star looked like they were going to be cut adrift at the wrong end of the league just a few weeks ago, but now they are looking up the table with confidence rather then apprehension after goals from Ryan Porteous and Chris Robertson, alongside their first clean sheet of the season, secured a valuable win.

“The performances have been good throughout the whole season, it’s just the results that we had been unlucky with,” said King. “We’ve not really changed a lot, we’ve just tried to make the players believe that what we are doing is right and we are on the right track.

“Once the first win came we hoped to kick on from there, which we have done. To go and pick up two away wins on the bounce after the start we had, just shows what the players are all about.

“We were confident going in to Saturday, it wasn’t the best game of football with the weather but we did what we needed to do. It was the first clean sheet of the season for us which is always good.

"Other teams probably thought we were down but we are now in amongst it again.”

Admitting that it had crossed his mind that he could lose his job after a winless opening 14-game stretch, King continued: “It comes into your mind because you are judged on your results and ours weren’t great.

"Luckily enough the committee and chairman etc could see what we are trying to do.

"If we were losing and not playing well there would be a worry there, but the performances have been good, and thankfully they’ve given us the time to try and get it right.

“The three wins has given us a hit of confidence, the boys are buzzing, it has helped with everything around the club. We almost have everyone back fit now because everyone wants to be part of a winning team.

“We have a tough game on Tuesday night [away to Linlithgow Rose] against another team that are in form, but that result isn’t going to define our season.

"We just need to go and give it our best shot, it is a free hit for us.”

Elsewhere, Penicuik Athletic maintained their one-point advantage at the league summit as goals from Nicky Reid and Ryan Baptie secured a 2-0 success away to Tynecastle.

Tranent kept pace with the league leaders as they enjoyed a five-star 5-1 win away to Blackburn United with new signing Rory Currie bagging a double on his debut. And Linlithgow Rose made it seven league wins in a row with a 3-1 defeat of near neighbours Camelon.

Whitehill Welfare dropped to bottom of the league as they lost 1-0 away to Broxburn Athletic, with Ross Allum getting the only goal for Chris Townsley’s men.

Meanwhile Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale, on a high after going through to the third round of the Scottish Cup, were edged out 3-2 away to Sauchie.