Jamie McKenzie hits out at mentality of Linlithgow Rose players after Ormiston debacle

Jamie McKenzie wins a header against Musselburgh Athletic's Mathu King

The Presfonfield men stumbled to a 3-3 draw at home to Ormiston last weekend in what must rank as one of their poorest results in recent times, Rose having beaten the East Lothian outfit 11-1 in the first fixture between the two clubs back in September.

A malaise has crept into the Prestonfield club in recent years, and the club decided to lure back successful former manager Mark Bradley in May 2017.

Bradley has so far failed to secure the club silverware of note since the Fife and Lothians Cup they won five years ago, and a league title is now out of their own hands with Broxburn five points clear, albeit Rose have a game in hand.

“I’m still lost for words; I don’t know where to start,” said McKenzie on last week’s debacle. “We got an absolute rollicking at half-time. We had missed a few chances but never really took anything and gifted them a goal.

“It is the story of the season for us, we’ve had to work quite hard to score a goal and teams are scoring quite easily against us – it’s never a good run of play or a good bit of skill – our defence has always been opened right up. We started off like that, then got our composure and started winning games towards the middle of the season, at Broxburn three or four weeks ago we were winning and we lost.

“It’s difficult to take and get your head around. At full-time he [Bradley] was struggling for words; at the end of the game he was probably considering his future. It was the mentality he had an issue with. No offence to Ormiston, but we know we have better players.

“Individually, we knew we had better players it’s just that effort, desire and hunger to win, whereas they had a couple of young boys who gave 110 per cent the whole game and they stood out like a sore thumb.

“What is lacking is that attitude, desire and mentality of the players just to get it over the line no matter what it takes.

“There was nothing any of our players, individually or collectively have done to merit pass marks; it really was shocking. The manager was speaking to us for five or ten minutes after the game but I think even he was struggling for words trying to come to terms with what had just happened.

“We found out after the game that Broxburn beat Jeanfield and it kind of puts the league outwith our destiny. Even if they had won and we had won, the league would’ve still been in our hands with our goal difference, but at the end of the day there is still a load of games to play.

“Given that Broxburn have played Cameron, Jeanfield and ourselves twice already, they must fancy themselves to go unbeaten until the end of the season.”

Rose visit Edinburgh United at Paties Road tomorrow intent on making amends, but the home side will certainly put up a fight after recently having held leaders Broxburn on their home turf until late on.

McKenzie continued: “We need a response, three points is a must just to keep any sort of pressure on. We can’t take our foot off the gas, there is still seven or eight games left to play. Like with any game, especially at this level, home or away we go in as favourites.

“I could be wrong but I think we’ve done better on the road this season. I haven’t played there before so again it’s a new one for us.

“Whether it is big or small, has grass on it or doesn’t have grass on it and if it’s astroturf, I genuinely don’t know. We will just have to deal with the situation and win at all costs.”