Tranent striker Wayne McIntosh will ponder future after helping team reach cup final

Veteran striker Wayne McIntosh says he will take a break over the summer to decide if he is going to play on for another season, with his immediate focus on Tranent’s East of Scotland League Cup final against Linlithgow Rose this Sunday.

The East of Scotland Premier Division champions secured their place in the final last night with a 2-0 defeat of Whitehill Welfare at Ferguson Park and now have their sights set on signing off their time in the East of Scotland set-up by adding more silverware before taking their place in the Lowland League next season.

McIntosh, 37, struck their second of the night against his former club following captain Shaun Rutherford’s terrific opener after an even opening period at the home of relegated Whitehill.

“We didn’t play that great but we got the job done and that’s it, we just need to keep going, we’ve got that winning mentality to keep going,” said the former Whitehill striker. “We always knew if we plugged away we would get chances and that’s what happened in the second half, we got on top of the game and got the goal to settle us.”

Tranent ran out 2-0 winers in the League Cup semi-final away to Whitehill Welfare at Ferguson Park. Picture: Scott Thomson

McIntosh is out of contract at the end of the season and is pondering whether to hang up the boots to spend more time with his family. Tranent boss Calum Elliot has already indicated he is desperate for his frontman to play on but McIntosh has a difficult decision to make.

He continued: “I’ve really enjoyed it at Tranent. I’ve been in and out of the team a wee bit but for the last maybe six or seven weeks I’ve been enjoying it, playing well and scoring goals.“I was brought in to score goals and I always back myself to score goals if I get chances and one thing about this team is I will always get chances because there are good players giving me good service. I’ve been lucky enough on the big occasions to come good and scored goals at good times for the team.

“It’s a hard one. I think I say this every year. It’s getting difficult, I have got another young kid, he’s just one year old [Abel], he’s a cracking wee lad and I’ve got Hayden as well who plays football, training Tuesday and Thursday, and has games on a Saturday and Sunday. My wife [Stephanie] works every Saturday as a hairdresser so her mum [Lorraine] has to watch the wee man for us every Saturday while I am out playing football and sometimes winning games and winning leagues and out all night, so it’s not going down to well, I think it’s ran it’s course a wee bit.

“If we didn’t have her there to look after the wee man I probably wouldn’t have played for as long as I have done. I owe a lot to her, she’s brilliant, she gives up her time to watch our kids while I go out and play football.

“My manager is choking for me to sign, but I need to concentrate on the final first of all then I will have a break away from it, not too long, I won’t leave him too long. I will need to sit down and have a good chat with my family and see if we can sort something out to potentially stay on for another season.”