Reilly urges Arthurlie squad to make history
Manager praises players after ‘outstanding’ victory at Burgh
ARTHURLIE boss Colin Reilly has urged his players to earn their place in the history books after they progressed to the Scottish Junior Cup final.
A 2-1 win over Johnstone Burgh at Keanie Park on Saturday means the Barrhead outfit will face Darvel in the showcase event at Broadwood on Sunday, June 2.
The Dunterlie Park team had to do it the hard way after drawing 2-2 in Barrhead the previous weekend before triumphing in a return leg played in front of nearly 3,000 spectators.
Burgh drew first blood after 18 minutes when ex-Neilston forward Kieran Brophy netted at the back post.
However, the response from Arthurlie was impressive as Conor Bolger dispossessed Ryan Wallace and skipped past two challenges before rifling a shot into the net just five minutes later.
And the second half was only a few minutes old when the visitors pounced on another error in the Burgh defence, with Dylan Dykes teeing up Dylan McGuigan, who rolled the ball into the far corner.
Arthurlie then held out in comfortable fashion as they took a giant step towards lifting the trophy for the first time since 1998.
Reilly was beaming with pride after the final whistle and hopes the victory can be the catalyst for a winning run that sees his players retain their Premier League status.
He said: “I thought the boys were outstanding and deserved the victory. I couldn’t be any prouder of them.
“The message at half-time was to keep believing and show lots of energy, especially in the wide areas.
“It’s unbelievable for the club and the committee, who work really hard behind the scenes. It will mean the world to the fans as well.
“Our players have now got positions to fight for ahead of the cup final and that can kick-start us and get us up the table.”
Arthurlie are eight points from safety in the Premier Division, with just five games left to play.
They return to action tonight as they host already-relegated Irvine Meadow at Dunterlie Park, with kick-off at 6.45pm, before welcoming Auchinleck Talbot this Saturday, with that game getting underway at 2pm.