Linlithgow Rose boss Gordon Herd has his eye on two trophies to end season on a high

After leading the pack for a large chunk of their East of Scotland Football League premier division campaign, his side finished third after hitting a patch of bad form at the worst possible time.

However, after Tuesday’s 1-0 League Cup semi-final win over Crossgates Primrose, Herd’s side now have two cup finals to finish the season.

Rose will now face Lowland League Gala Fairydean Rovers in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup final in Penicuik on Sunday, followed by a league cup final against Whitehill Welfare or Tranent, who contest their semi-final on Tuesday night at Ferguson Park.

Herd said: “It’s been too long a time for a club like Linlithgow to not win a cup. That’s been eight years now, which just shouldn’t happen.

“To be able to have the final two fixtures of the season as two cup finals is really exciting and special.

“We’ve fallen short in the league but we now have a real chance to turn the season into an exceptional one.

“It’s not actually a bad thing from a manager’s perspective because it has opened my eyes up a bit.

“I know now what we really need if we are going to win a title at this level and the type of players we would need to bring in.

“A sticky spell was always going to come after the run we had gone on at the start of the season, but the way we crumbled made it just too hard to claw back.

“If we could bring one cup through the door, it would be brilliant, but if we could bring two, it would turn this year into a memorable season.

“For myself and the coaching team, both games will give the boys a taste of what it is like to play in these sorts of matches, and hopefully what it is like to lift a trophy.

“It breeds success when you reach the latter stages of competitions, and we need that at this