Latest news with #Tranent
Edinburgh Reporter
6 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Barrett signs for Edinburgh City
Edinburgh City have added another player to their squad with the acquisition of left-sided midfielder Bradley Barrett. The Bonnyrigg-born player spent five seasons with his local side and last season made 27 appearances for The Rose, scoring four goals and setting up two others. Currently, the 24-year-old, who has also played for Tranent and the under-18 side at Berwick Rangers, is carrying an injury from last season but City are confident he will be fit in the next few weeks. PICTURE: Bradley Barrett by Tommy Lee Like this: Like Related
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Johnstone Burgh captain Derek Esplin relives moment 57-year Junior Cup hoodoo was ended
The Keanie Park skipper got his hands on the trophy after a penalty shoot-out win over Tranent. Derek Esplin reflected on Johnstone Burgh's history-making Junior Cup triumph and admitted: It has been a long time coming. The Keanie Park ace became the first Burgh skipper to lift the trophy since George Caughey did just that back in 1968. Esplin hoisted aloft the silverware at Broadwood Stadium on Sunday, June 1, after the Renfrewshire side beat Lowland League Tranent 4-2 on penalties. There were jubilant scenes as Burgh ended a 57-year Junior Cup hoodoo with the town later turning out in force at Houstoun Square for a very special homecoming. 'It was a brilliant moment and it has been a long time coming,' Esplin told the Paisley Daily Express. 'It was amazing to lift the trophy and see your family, friends and the full town here. 'You saw the crowd that we brought here for the final. This is a massive club and massive town. Everybody at the club deserves this, not just the players. 'We will take all the plaudits but there are so many people doing so much behind the scenes at the club, just like at every Junior club. We said in the changing room that cup finals don't come around every year. You have to go out there and take it – seize the moment. 'I'm just delighted for everybody as it has been a long time coming so we are going to enjoy it. I thought we deserved to win over the piece.' Burgh certainly did it the hard way after falling behind just before half-time when Harry Girdwood netted for the Belters. However, Ciaran Diver arrived at the back post to smash the ball into the roof of the net after Aaron Mason's deflected strike was kept out by keeper Kelby Mason. 'We've done it all season,' admitted Esplin. 'But that tells you a lot about our character. I knew we weren't beat and I knew if we could get one goal we would go on and win it. I thought the subs changed the game but everybody to a man was brilliant.' Following a 1-1 draw in normal time, the cup was to be decided by penalties with Dean Brett missing Tranent's opener. Burgh keeper Luke Scullion later denied Euan Bauld with Fraser Mullen, Diver and Ross Davidson's conversions setting it up nicely for Kyle Lafferty to seal success – and the former Rangers and Northern Ireland star made no mistake. Esplin added: 'Kyle has played at the highest level so, when he went up for the penalty, I just thought to myself, 'he's scoring that'. We've been saying it for months that Kyle would come on and score the winner in the Scottish Cup final and he's effectively done it.' And Esplin had a message for those who think the Junior Cup isn't as important since the creation of the West of Scotland League. 'People say it has lost its magic but I'm not having that,' he insisted. 'Tranent came into the cup this season and I think a lot of the big teams are coming back to it. Cup finals don't come around often so when you are in it, you want to go on and win it.'
Daily Record
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Johnstone Burgh penalty hero Luke Scullion backed himself in Junior cup shoot-out
The Keanie Park custodian saved Euan Bauld's spot-kick which allowed Kyle Lafferty the opportunity to smash home the deciding penalty. Johnstone Burgh Junior Cup hero Luke Scullion has revealed he backed himself to come out on top in the crucial shoot-out. The Keanie Park keepe r denied Tranent captain Euan Bauld in Sunday's spot-kicks decider. Dean Brett missed the opening penalty for the Belters, with Scullion later thwarting Bauld to set the stage for Kyle Lafferty to end Burgh's 57-year wait for the silverware. Burgh had drawn 1-1 with Tranent in normal time at Broadwood Stadium with Ciaran Diver levelling Harry Girdwood's opener. A red-and-white army got the party started after Lafferty's strike and Scullion admits his record saving penalties meant he was full of confidence when pushed into the spotlight. 'I just fancy myself with penalties,' he said. 'I don't know what it is. I've just always had a good time with it. We've worked so hard this year and we've put loads in together. 'If we were to go a full season without winning anything, that would have been really harsh for sure.' Scullion was relieved to see Diver grab the equaliser in the second half after his role in Tranent's opener. The Burgh custodian flapped at a free-kick with Danny O'Neill forced to clear Jake Hutchings' header off the line. From the resulting corner, Girdwood's bullet header flew into the back of the net. However, Burgh responded positively as the game wore on and nothing would overshadow the celebrations for Scullion and his history-making team-mates. He added: 'I think we had a good few chances. It was a sloppy goal for us to lose. Front post, I've got to do better than that. I've got to get more on than that as well. 'Listen, it happens in these games, it's a big game. There's a lot of things going on but everybody bounced back and we got through it.' Meanwhile, West Scotland MSP Paul O'Kane has lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating Burgh on their cup triumph. The text reads: 'That the Parliament congratulates Johnstone Burgh FC on winning the Scottish Junior Cup for the first time since 1968; notes that the final took place at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld, on 1 June 2025 and saw Burgh take on Tranent FC; understands that the match was won 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw; commends what has been viewed as a passionate final where both sides made a strong effort; further commends the efforts of manager Murdo MacKinnon, all players and the committee for securing the cup; congratulates all fans of the club and the people of Johnstone, not only on this victory but on their support throughout the season, particularly in the build up to the final; acknowledges the efforts of local community and businesses to support the team, particularly with the town being decked out in red and white; understands that hundreds of local people gathered in Houstoun Square to see the team off and to welcome everyone home with the cup, and wishes all at the club well in the celebrations and for next season, with the pride of the whole of Johnstone behind them.' Mr O'Kane added: 'I'm delighted to amplify this achievement at the Scottish Parliament — all my MSP colleagues will know what Murdo MacKinnon and his team achieved.'
Daily Record
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Johnstone Burgh chairman Brian Williams cried tears of joy after Junior Cup win
The Keanie Park supremo thought back to the days when the gates at the ground could have been padlocked for good. Brian Williams admitted he cried tears of joy after Johnstone Burgh lifted the Junior Cup. The Keanie Park chairman watched with pride from the main stand at Broadwood Stadium as the West of Scotland League Premier Division club's 57-year wait for the top prize in non-league football was brought to an end. Ciaran Diver grabbed a late equaliser to send Sunday's final to penalties after Lowland League opponents Tranent had taken a first-half lead through Harry Girdwood. Dean Brett missed Tranent's first kick and Burgh keeper Luke Scullion later denied Euan Bauld before former Rangers and Northern Ireland hero Kyle Lafferty stepped up to clinch the cup for Burgh. It was hugely emotional – and historical – for Williams who witnessed Burgh lose their previous cup final appearance on spot-kicks to Whitburn Juniors in 2000. 'This is phenomenal,' he said. 'I never thought we'd ever get back to this. These guys here will be spoken about now for the duration of the club's existence. Infinity, basically. 'Twenty-five years ago, I stood on the terrace and had tears in my eyes – but sad tears because obviously we got beat that day. It's tears again but tears of joy.' Almost 3,000 Burgh fans – in a crowd of 4,538 – made the pilgrimage to North Lanarkshire and it was party time when Lafferty confidently struck from 12 yards. Williams knows memories which will last a lifetime have been created with the squad given a heroes' welcome in Johnstone's Houstoun Square on Sunday night. He said: 'I think we've brought most of the town with us. We sold every single ticket we had and you can seen that. The amount of kids that came along as well was brilliant. That's our future.' Having to show resilience and come behind has been the Burgh mantra for most of the second part of the season. Despite starting the stronger side on Sunday, boss Murdo MacKinnon needed big characters to wipe out the deficit and Williams says a strong mentality has underlined their campaign. He added: 'If you look at it across the season, we tend to win 2-1 and always seem to come from behind. But even when we go one-nil down, there is always a team in there that wants to come back, and they did. 'Don't get me wrong, big Lafferty – he's always been that impact player for us. He's always the one that's been put on to the park to dig it back out for us. 'And, again, he's done it. He had a hand in the equaliser before big Diver's got the last touch to it. 'He has been unbelievable this season. He's 37 years old and might not last 90 minutes but he give him that 20 minutes at the end he always pulls it out of the hat for us.' Reflecting on how much the trophy meant to him, Williams said it shows how far the club have come in the last decade from when the gates were almost padlocked for good. 'I've said it umpteen times,' he explained. 'Eight years ago, I should have locked the doors and walked away as we were done. We held on. We did what we could and look at this. This is unbelievable. You know, it's a great day.'
Belfast Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Ex-Northern Ireland and Rangers hero scores winning penalty in Scottish Junior final: ‘It was put on my shoulders'
The man who scored 20 goals for his country was a second half substitute in the Scottish non-league final. The Fermanagh man made his mark on the match, however, scoring the winning spot kick in a dramatic shootout at the Broadwood Stadium. Lafferty said: 'It's brilliant for myself to score a winning goal, to win the penalty shoot-out. For all that to be put on my shoulders was massive for me. 'And I knew how much it meant to the club. The first thing the club said to me was 'we need to win the Scottish Junior Cup in the two years you're here', and we've done it.' We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Tranent held the advantage at half time thanks to a Harry Girdwood header only for Lafferty's Johnstone Burgh to level through Ciaran Diver with 16 minutes left on the clock. The game would go to penalties, with Lafferty scoring the decisive kick in a 4-2 shootout win. The 37 year-old joined the West of Scotland Premier Division side in 2023 after he was released by Linfield. Lafferty had previously played for Burnley, Rangers, Sion, Palermo, Norwich City, Hearts, Sarpsborg, Sunderland, Reggina, Kilmarnock and Anorthosis Famagusta.
