'It's not easy to hit 40 goals in a season' - Linlithgow Rose boss Gordon Herd hails top scorer Mark Stowe

Stowe, 23, cut inside and hammered the ball into the top left corner to put Rose 2-1 up at half-time in a game which had earlier seen Sean Heaver head Linlithgow in front before the visitors’ Sean Murphy shot in the equaliser following a neat one-two.

Into the second half and Liam Allison headed in a Heaver corner for 3-1 before two late Tranent goals after crosses from the left – the latter being a header with just five minutes remaining – earned the away team a point.

On Stowe’s remarkable form this season, Linlithgow boss Gordon Herd said: “Mark’s been excellent, it was a great goal and his performance deserved that goal.

"We’ve been at Mark for a wee while saying that he needs to improve his defensive side and his work-rate and that was there for all to see on Saturday.

"We’re delighted for Mark for hitting that 40-goal mark.

"It’s not an easy thing to reach as a Linlithgow player.

"I think it’s maybe only Tommy Coyne and Brian Carrigan that’s hit those heights so he’s in there with good players on that 40 goals a season mark.”

Rose followers will no doubt be delighted to hear that Stowe is contracted at Prestonfield for another year, along with all of his current team-mates.

Herd said: “We like to get boys tied down on long term deals because we’re building something at Linlithgow.

"So if we can get guys to come along for the journey onto decent long term contracts then it’s good for us, good for the club and the guys know they’re settled and at an ambitious club pushing for promotion into the Lowland League and beyond.

"All the squad are tied down for next season.

"We know what we need. We need maybe two or three in the door to add to what we’ve got and go and push next season.”

Linlithgow will finish third in the East of Scotland Premier Division this season after a topsy-turvy campaign.

Sitting on 68 points with one league match to play this season, Rose will end their league campaign at Penicuik Athletic this Saturday with kick-off at 3pm.