Whitehill Welfare 0-2 Linlithgow Rose: Rose boss Gordon Herd hails his troops after third straight league victory

Saturday’s 2-0 East of Scotland Premier Division victory at Whitehill Welfare – thanks to goals in each half by Mark Stowe and Alan Sneddon – gave Rose the three points to delight Herd, whose fourth placed side have 20 points from 11 matches and have a game in hand on Tranent.

“It took us until just before half-time to get the first goal so they were hard to break down,” Herd said.

"Whitehill is a notoriously hard place to go and get points and it will get harder as the winter months come in as well so we’ve done well to come away with three points.

"It was another really good team performance. And a clean sheet as well so we’re delighted. ”

Rose were helped when Whitehill were reduced to 10 men with the score at 1-0 to Rose in the second half, their player getting a straight red card for a last man foul on Alan Docherty.

Herd said: “I don’t think the guy could really have too many complaints about the sending off. It was a bad tackle.”

The league fixtures are coming thick and fast for Rose, with this Saturday’s home game against Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale followed by a trip to Newtongrange Star next Tuesday night. Rose then visit Blackburn United four days later.

"It’s good fixtures for us,” Herd said. “It’s fixtures that are winable on paper but we need to go and apply ourselves like we’ve done the last three games.

"We need to go and try to win every game from now until the end of the season.

"We can’t really afford slip ups with the points gap that’s in front of us.

"But if the boys can keep doing what they’re doing and I can add new faces to the squad it will give us a chance.

"You never say never in football.

"We are always trying to add new players, we’ve been trying since we came in.

"I keep saying that it needs to be right for Linlithgow. It can’t be a case of us panic buying as such or spending over inflated prices.

"We are doing our best. We might have a body in for Saturday or we might even have another two in.

"We’ll need to see what happens.”