Written by Cameron Wanstall

Just shy of 1,000 spectators made their way to Foresters Park to take in the first meeting between local rivals Bonnyrigg Rose and Tranent Juniors since the latter emerged as King’s Cup final victors in 2019.

Robbie Horn made five changes to the team that defeated Gala Fairydean Rovers last weekend as Bob Wilson, Johnny Brown, Lewis Turner, George Hunter, and Nathan Evans all slotted into the starting eleven.

After a slow start in EH33, it was the hosts who had the first opportunity of the game after twelve minutes. Matthew Knox burst through on the left flank, latched onto a neat through ball and let off a fierce, low strike across the face of goal. Though, thankfully for an outstretched Mikey Andrews, the ball dragged wide off the post.

Frankly, there were few moments of note in the opening stages. Evans (quite entertainingly) nearly received a physical and verbal shakedown from the opposition defence for obliviously chasing down the ball after possession was being gifted back to the home side’s goalkeeper following a stoppage in play. “A didny ken” was his perplexed, yet entirely believable, excuse.

Soon after, Bob Wilson was replaced by the aptly named Al “Tranent Pele” Horne. How fitting for the occasion.

A first Rose chance came when a cheeky chip from Hunter was denied by a solid smothering save by opposition ‘keeper Dean Beveridge. Fortunately for the forward, his moment did eventually arrive eight minutes before the interval. ‘Always put the keeper under pressure’ may be a trivial instruction, but it is one Hunter clearly takes seriously…

Beveridge struggled to get the ball out his feet from a seemingly innocuous back-pass and as he attempted to clumsily thwack the ball up field, Geo was already there waiting to pounce. The ball ricocheted off Hunter’s leg and Beveridge could only watch as it agonisingly bounced over the line to gift Rose a one-nil lead.

Jamie Docherty nearly drew level only minutes later, however, after dazzlingly twisting and turning past three Rose defenders and having a pop at goal. His effort had many in the ground fooled into believing a quick equaliser had come, but Andrews was at his best to deny the former Rose man by parrying the ball behind.

That missed chance came back to haunt the Belters as Hunter was again on hand to double Rose's advantage on the stroke of half-time. The ball found the goalscorer after a corner was not cleared properly and was instantly knocked back into the danger area. Hunter, with his back turned to goal, let the ball bobble past him before turning his marker and unleashing a sensational volley into the roof of the net that Beveridge had absolutely no chance of stopping. Is comparing the goal to Marco van Basten’s infamous 1988 volley too far? Probably. But let's do it anyway.

Following a solid first 45 and with a two-goal cushion secured, a composed Rose performance followed in the second half but with very few moments of note to show for it. I mean, Seán started tweeting about dog’s wearing Rose scarfs at one point… There really wasn’t a lot going on.

Shaun Rutherford was Rose’s largest threat after the break - despite having to surge forward from defence. The skipper first tried his luck from way, way out but the desperate effort never troubled Andrews, instead flying over the fence and into the car park - potentially leaving a football-sized hole in someone’s windscreen.

Rutherford did come much closer with a curling right-footed shot that whizzed past the woodwork, however, and later tested Andrews with a powerful, driven free-kick that slipped under the wall that could’ve sparked a very nervy end to the game. But there was just simply no way back for Calum Elliot’s side.

It wasn’t until the final 15 minutes that Rose formed any clear-cut chances since Hunter's second goal. Kerr Young nodded over from a corner, Dean Brett fired wide from the edge of the box, and in the final moments of the clash, Lee Currie couldn’t turn in a quick flick after some excellent build-up play from Hunter, Ross Gray and Kieran Hall.

With the derby victory secured at a packed Foresters Park, Bonnyrigg Rose are now into the fourth round of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup. EoSFL Conference X side Bathgate Thistle or last weekend’s Lowland League opponents Gala Fairydean Rovers await in the next round.

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