Martin Maughan ready to fire Tranent to the top in EoS after Leith move

Tranent’s Martin Maughan has made a flourishing start with the Foresters Park men since making the step up to the East of Scotland Premier League.

The 22-year-old striker made the move from First Division Leith Athletic in January after a prolific 18-month spell with Steven Chalmers’ side, and he’s not looked out of place in the top tier.

The ‘Bingham Bull’ as he’s affectionately known, bagged his first hat-trick for Tranent in a 10-0 East of Scotland Cup rout of Hawick Royal Albert United last weekend and he’s keen to get fire more trebles to help the Belters in their pursuit of the league title.

“It has been a bit of step up, the league is a lot tougher and we are challenging for the league. I’m enjoying it and I’ve cemented by place in the team now,” said Maughan, ahead of hosting Crossgates Primrose in the league tomorrow.

“I was at Edinburgh United 20s before Leith and I tried to play for their first team but it never really worked out for me, I wasn’t getting a game so I left to go to Leith. Stevie Chalmers was brilliant with me, he took a chance on me and it worked out good for me and the club.

“The way Leith went about it [the move to Tranent] was brilliant; Ger Freedman, the chairman, was great – I went with their best wishes there was no bad feelings about me moving on; they wanted what I wanted.

“Leith was quite close to my heart so it was hard for me to go, but I sort of felt I was ready for a step up. When Calum [Elliot] phoned me it was a no brainer with the way he was talking and having the chance to learn from a brilliant striker like he was, was a bonus.

“There are three or four strikers at Tranent who are all good players, so you can sort of learn from them. You’ve got Wayne McIntosh who has played at this level for about 15 years and he’s scored goals everywhere he’s been, so I’ve just been picking up bits and pieces from players like him. We all push each other on, there is no jealousy, we all want the best for each other.”

Martin Maughan is keen to fire Tranent to the top this weekend. (Picture: Twitter @TranentJRs_FC)

Neither side above Tranent are in league action tomorrow so Maughan’s side have the chance to usurp Penicuik Athletic and go top with their game in hand. He added: “Penicuik and Linlithgow are brilliant sides, so we have a tough title challenge on our hands. We just need to take it one game at a time.

"Crossgates are a really good side, they just beat my previous club Leith 3-0 and Leith are a good side, so we know what to expect. We know it’s going to be a tough game so we need to be at it.”

Cuikie are back in league action on Tuesday night, away at Hill O’Beath who face second-placed Linlithgow Rose in the East of Scotland Cup fifth round on Saturday.

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