SPORT Let’s get the job done...

Lauchlan urges his men to finally seal the title

Martin Lauchlan has called on his East Kilbride players to finish the job and claim the Lowland League title this weekend. Kilby were stunned on Saturday when strugglers Civil Service Strollers held them to a 1-1 draw in Edinburgh. A win would have seen the league leaders crowned champions, but now they must head to the Borders this weekend and beat Gala Fairydean Rovers to make sure of it. With three games remaining, they currently lead rivals East Stirling by eight points after they beat Hawick 4-2 on Saturday night. Kilby almost clinched the championship without kicking a ball as Shire found themselves 2-1 down before rallying to win. And now Lauchlan (left) wants his troops to put Shire to the sword once and for all. He said: “It put us through the wringer a bit on Saturday night, waiting to see if we’d won it.

“But at the end of the day we’ve got to go and do the business ourselves, we can’t rely on any one else.

“We have to finish the job ourselves and after the disappointment of Saturday the players are desperate to do that.

“I’ve reminded them they are top of the league and eight points clear with three games to go. They are disappointed, but people have to take into consideration how well we’ve done all season.

“Even two points from our final three games will do it.

“If we go and win the match on Saturday we don’t have to worry about anything else.”

Sean Winter’s penalty miss proved to be the turning point in the draw with Strollers, but Lauchlan added: “The team have been great all season and are fully focused on winning the title. They’re disappointed not to do it on Saturday and I know Sean is beating himself up a bit.

“But he has been terrific for us all season, so I can’t lay any blame at him. He’s scored so many goals for us this season (21).

“We win as a team and we draw as a team. We’ll finish the job as a team as well.”

Conditions at Christie Gillies Park weren’t the best and Kilby struggled to play their flowing, passing game, but they will be looking forward to a better experience on Gala’s 3G surface at Netherdale.

Not only that, the venue has been the scene of Kilby’s Lowland League Cup triumphs in the past two seasons.

So maybe, just maybe, it’s their destiny to make it a treble of titles in the Borders on Saturday.