Tranent boss: Pressure all on hosts Blackburn

Tranent Juniors boss Gary Small has labelled their South Division top-of-the-table clash away to Blackburn United as a '˜six-pointer' and he believes all the pressure is on their hosts.

Gary Small

The Foresters Park outfit have a lead of 12 points with six games remaining as they bid for promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt under Small’s stewardship.

Second-placed Blackburn do have three games in hand over Tranent but Small insists the match at New Murrayfield Park is a must-win for their opponents who secured a 1-1 draw in the same fixture back in October.

“Saturday is massive game for us, it’s a six pointer and it gives us that extra incentive to go and win it,” said Small. “It’s one that we are really looking forward too.

“There is no pressure on us, the pressure is all on Blackburn – it’s must-win for them. If they don’t win then they are really struggling because we are 12 ahead of them just now and we’ve got a far superior goal difference which is probably going to give us another point.

“They really need to come and take the game to us if they want to win the game. For me if they come out and play that will be music to my ears because it’s when teams sit in and make it difficult for us that we’ve found things challenging.”

Despite their advantage at the top of the table it promises to be a difficult encounter for Tranent, with Blackburn unbeaten so far in the league this season.

The West Lothian club are just one of two sides Tranent have yet to beat and Small is eager to make it a clean sweep by the end of the campaign.

He added: “I set ourselves wee goals and challenges to meet throughout the season and the fact Blackburn are undefeated so far, I want us to be the first team to beat them. We’ve beaten everybody else at least once, it’s only Blackburn and West Calder, who we’ve still got to play, that we haven’t beaten.

“Your ultimate goal will take care of itself but if you meet your smaller goals you are giving yourself half a chance.”

The visitors will be without assistant-player Joe Murray who is suspended, although Kenny Fisher is back from injury.

Elsewhere, fellow promotion chasers Easthouses Lily are away to Lochgelly.

In the Premier League, Haddington, Dalkeith, Arniston and Edinburgh United are all on the road with trips to Dundonald, Jeanfield, Kennoway Star Hearts and Lochee United.