A first trip to Shielfield Park in two-and-a-half-years and the opportunity to clinch the Lowland League title… how can one not be looking forward to Saturday?

Despite some confusion on Twitter, (when isn’t there…) Bonnyrigg Rose are not quite yet league champions, despite being named the Champion Club after securing the Pyramid-Play-Off place in last week’s 5-0 victory over Cumbernauld Colts. Mathematically, both Celtic B and Rangers B can still catch Rose in top spot, however, a win over the border at the weekend would bring the race to a close.

Let’s recap the latest chapter in this simply stunning league season…

Colts have been the only side to deny Rose of a goal in a Lowland League match, when they done so earlier in the season, so there were no illusions pre-match that it would be a given.

Any nerves were swiftly settled when Kerr Young glanced home a header after 11 minutes. Arguably not a trademark screamer, but a rousing roar erupted, nonetheless. Sean Brown, up against the club where he has been the most prolific in his career so far, netted his first and second Bonnyrigg Rose goal either side of the interval. Callum Connolly assisted Brown’s second, before getting in on the act himself. And to round off the night, after appearing from the bench, Keiran McGachie slipped in the fifth.

Pride in the achievement could not be questioned, yet, nor could the hunger for more. Horn’s side evidently saving the celebrations until their status as champions is declared.

The wait for such declaration was stretched due to Rose’s participation in the South Challenge Cup at the weekend. Lewis Turner’s first-half penalty proved to be the difference against Arthurlie in a highly contested cup match.

Already out of the South Challenge Cup, this weekend’s opponents, Berwick Rangers hosted Dalbeattie Star in the Lowland League, in their last outing. Lewis Baker, who has seven league goals in 2022 already, scored a brace to get Stuart Malcolm’s side back to winning ways following their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cumbernauld Colts the week before.

Baker will undoubtedly be one to watch come Saturday, alongside his striking partner, Lewis Allan. The former Hibee has 14 goals in the league this season and is another one of the four Wee Gers players who is in double figures for the campaign (Baker, Allan, Sean Stewart and Graham Taylor).

However, none managed to net against Rose in the first meet of the season. Mikey Andrews kept a clean sheet while goals from Ross Gray, Connolly and Young ensured Berwick Rangers’ first trip to New Dundas Park in the Lowland league was an unhappy one.

Curtailed seasons have affected trips up and down the A1 for fixtures between these sides. The Midlothian outfit last travelled down south in July 2019, and despite a mere 955 days falling in between the two journeys, only two players that travelled in red and white back then, will not come this Saturday.

In the line-up that started on Tuesday 30th July 2019, only Daniel Baur is no longer at the club, with the same outcome on the bench, as Jamie Docherty is the only player to have moved on. If that doesn’t show continuity, I don’t know what does.

It was a pleasant journey back up the road on that Summer night as Horn marked his return to the Borderers with a 5-3 victory. McGachie and Lee Currie bagged a brace each, while George Hunter scored on the half-hour mark, too.

The Rosey Posey supporters’ bus is already packed, the faithful are hoping to witness history, and who can blame them.

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