Tranent Juniors boss Calvin Shand plotting a route into the Scottish Cup

Tranent have conceded just 14 goals so far this season and sit in third place in the EoS Premier Division

Seeing their East of Scotland rivals tear it up in the Scottish Cup this season has given everyone at Foresters Park an added incentive to secure their SFA licence according to Tranent manager Calvin Shand.

Shand’s men visit Broxburn Athletic tomorrow, who hit the headlines after their titanic defeat of League Two Cowdenbeath in the second round last month, with Penicuik Athletic soaring to the same heights on that weekend with their crushing of Stenhousemuir.

Both clubs were awarded their entry-level SFA licence in May, therefore securing their participation in this season’s Scottish Cup, and Shand is desperate for his players to do the same next year as work continues at pace to meet criteria.

Tranent, along with East Lothian neighbours Musselburgh Athletic and Haddington Athletic, were boosted in their efforts after receiving funding from East Lothian Council to install floodlights.

“We are in the process of applying for it and we’ve had good news from the council in regards to the floodlights,” said Shand ahead of visiting Albyn Park in the fourth round of the SFA South Region Challenge Cup. “What Broxburn and Penicuik have done recently just gives everybody else that hunger to get into the Scottish Cup and everybody else wants a bit of it.

“That’s the plan for everybody at the club [to be in the Scottish Cup next season]. I’ve said it several times now, the committee is as hard working as anybody and if it’s going to happen, or if there is a possibility of it happening, then they will do everything then can to assist it.”

Currently sat in third place in the East of Scotland Premier Division, Shand is content with the start his young side have made given the plethora of new Belters who arrived over the summer.

He continued: “We’ve had a few changes over the summer, bringing in nine or ten new players, but the players we have brought in have been successful where they’ve been as well. We’ve signed quality players and they know what is expected when they come to Tranent now. We need to be successful and we need to be challenging for cups – long term we want to be challenging for leagues.

“I probably would’ve taken where we are, sitting in third place with a couple of games in hand. I’ve been really impressed with they way we’ve played. We’ve worked hard on the training ground and they’ve taken on board the message, and they know exactly what we want. It is just getting results, that’s the hardest part in this league.

“We haven’t set ourselves any unrealistic goals or shouted about what we’re going to do or this or that, we’ll just go quietly about our business and see where it takes us.

“Long term the goal for the club is to get up through the leagues, but this is a new squad and a young team. If you look at the teams around about us at the top of this league, they have built their squads over three or four years.

“It is going to take time but I would say we are probably ahead of where I thought we would be, so I’m happy at the moment.”