Season 2000/01
After finishing the previous campaign with a Millennium Cup Final appearance against Fauldhouse United, genuine optimism for what could be achieved this season has given way to a familiar feeling of disappointment.
Athough the opening game of the campaign resulted in a penalty shoot-out defeat at Creamery Park in the League Cup, the performance against First Division Bathgate Thistle seemed to promise much. However, to the surprise of everyone at the club, the next ten league games yielded just two points as the team plummeted to the foot of the Second Division. This period also saw our exit from the Calders East of Scotland Cup at the hands of Bonnybridge in October.
As a consequence of this dismal run, we travelled north to Aberdeenshire to face Cruden Bay in the 2nd round of the Scottish Junior Cup with a fair sized support but more than a little aprehension. However, a fine attacking display saw our under fire strikers contribute three goals in a 4-0 victory. This win was quickly followed by Fife & Lothians Cup success over West Calder United and a first league victory away at league leaders Armadale Thistle, where a last minute equaliser by the Volunteer Park outfit wasn't to deny us the three points as Craig Spence went straight to the other end to rattle home a 25-yarder with the referee looking at his watch.
These three victories highlight what the team is capable of, yet a dominant 90 minutes at Harthill Royal in the 3rd round of the Scottish also highlighted that luck is a precious commodity. Sadly, it's a commodity that we often lack, the home side scoring the only goal of the tie from a hotly disputed first half penalty. Since that December disappointment a close game against promotion contenders Dalkeith Thistle saw our visitors snatch two goals in the last minute of the game to emerge victorious.
Progress to the Third Round of the Fife & Lothians Cup ultimately saw hopes of a Quarter-Final place dashed after a 3-0 defeat at First Division Arniston Rangers but a Second Round Berth in the Doug 'N Al Cup was secured in March when goals from Mark Campbell and Craig Lamb secured a fine 2-0 victory at Duncan Stewart Memorial Park against Bonnybridge. This confidence boosting win was then followed up by a 3-2 victory at Livingston United in the league, a win that was more convincing than the final scoreline suggests, before a second round Co-Op Cup tie at the home of Scottish Junior Cup holders Whitburn saw the Central Park outfit triumph by the odd goal in five despite a fine, all round performance that had seen the team surge ahead twice through goals from Craig Hamilton and Craig Lamb.
With just the Doug 'N Al Cup and the avoidance of a bottom three finish in the League to play for, goals from Craig Lamb and Alan Brown guided the side past Livingston United and into a revenge mission at home against Whitburn in the Cup competition. However, two opportunist strikes from Jim Woods and Steph McCardie weren't enough to prevent the leaders of the First Division from coming out on top once again, this time by four goals to two. Two victories from the final seven John Walker League fixtures were then insufficient reward for the way the team performed and it was a disappointing tenth place finish that was the reward for an equally disappointing campaign.
Season 2001/02
With the departures of Gerry Ganner and Jamie McCormick in the closing months of last term being compounded when Alan Brown moved to Petershill and Stuart MacKinnon retired during the close season, it was a squad shorn of much experience that went down 3-1 to Bonnybridge in the first competitive game of the campaign. Despite the addition of several highly rated Juveniles on the eve of that game and the signing of Lee Macauley from Stoneyburn it really wasn't a surprise when we then went down 4-1 the following week at the much fancied Dunbar United and, after that game, boss Jim Woods left the club by mutual consent after 16 years as both player and then manager.
Assistant Rab Stewart took interm charge of the side for the 3-1 and 2-0 league defeats by Pumpherston and Livingston United respectively before Micky Lynch was appointed to the managers chair on the Monday evening prior to the home league fixture with fellow strugglers Tranent. Goals from Graham Landels and Lee Macauley in the last ten minutes were enough to secure our first three points of the season and move the team from the foot of the table.ahead of a disappointing 1-0 reverse at Harthill Royal seven days later. Defeats by Edinburgh United and Glenrothes quickly followed in the East of Scotland and Fife and Lothians Cups respectively before a 1-1 draw here at Murrayfield Park against Bonnybridge heralded the start of a six match unbeaten run. This spell included Mark Campbell setting up a win over Livingston United with a goal that made him the clubs all time top goalscorer, Craig Lamb netting a brace that sent Cambuslang Rangers tumbling out of the Scottish Junior Cup and unbeaten league leaders Fauldhouse United being given a four goal start before a tremendous comeback earned a deserved share of the spoils.
This unbeaten run came to an unexpected end though when West Calder United arrived at Murrayfield Park on the first day of December and left with all three league points in a 4-0 victory. This disappointment was followed by our departure from the Junior Cup when, although coming from three down to earn a replay, we went out to Bank's o'Dee after extra-time in that Aberdeen replay. In the nine weeks since that Cup exit four points were picked up from three league games in a spell disrupted by the bad weather and where as many games were postponed as were played before Whitburn visited Murrayfield Park in the Streamline Taxis Cup and progressed to the Third Round at our expense with Derek Drummond netting our consolation from the penalty spot in a 3-1 defeat.
Following that defeat from the Central Park outfit, 8 consecutive league games yielded only nine points to finally put to an end any thoughts of promotion, although the 3-0 victory over Dunbar United in the final week of March did briefly hint that a step up may have been possible had that form been taken into subsequent games. The end of April saw the side still retaining an interest in the Brown Cup and a narrow 2-1 victory over local rivals West Calder United with goals from Craig Spence and Mark Campbell earned a home Quarter Final tie against Tranent. The tie against our East Region opponents seemed to have been won with Andy Heeps first goal of the season but an injury time equaliser took the game to penalty kicks where two fine saves from Derek Stewart set up Kevin Boyd to net the decisive spot kick and take the side through to a Semi-Final spot against Whitburn. Sadly, despite a magnificent effort by the players against one of the Region's top outfits, a Craig Lamb goal wasn't quite enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat in that semi.
