CUP WIN CAN INSPIRE PROMOTION PUSH
Jags boss reckons team can kick-start league campaign
Billy Campbell has called on East Kilbride Thistle to use their stunning cup win over Maryhill as the catalyst for a promotion push.
The Jags boss watched his side cause a shock on Saturday by sending Maryhill crashing out of the Central League Cup, turning in one of their best performances this season.
Goals from Aaron Connolly and Chris Faulds either side of halftime sank the Glasgow side, who grabbed a consolation through Alec Docherty.
After being sidelined for much of the winter months, the Jags have now won three games on the bounce since their return to action.
And Campbell hopes knocking out Maryhill, who play two divisions above them in the Junior ranks, can kick-start their league campaign as they try to catch up on their 10 games in hand.
He said: “It’s a fantastic result to beat a team two divisions above us, but it’s the manner of the performance that pleases me more.
“Now we’ve got to take this performance into our league games and build on this.
“The workrate and attitude in the last three games has been excellent and we’ve combined that with good play. We’ve only conceded two goals in those games as well and that always helps.
“I’m really pleased for the players. They deserved the win and we scored two great goals to get there.
“Promotion is still a possibility for us, but we are not getting carried away.
“There’s still a lot of games to play and our feet are very much on the ground.
“Now that we’ve managed to get a run of games played, we are starting to settle down.
“We want to keep it going and see where it takes us.”
The Jags broke the deadlock after 38 minutes when a long ball from the back was cleverly flicked on by skipper Alan McFadden, into the path of Connolly who had beaten the offside trap. He found himself one on one with Maryhill keeper Cameron Sinclair and coolly slotted the ball beyond him to give Thistle a deserved lead going into the break.
The second half was barely five minutes old when Thistle increased their lead through Faulds. McFadden was again the provider, slipping the ball through the Maryhill defenders for Faulds to clip the ball over the onrushing keeper.
On the hour mark Maryhill pulled one back when Docherty headed home from Gavin Stokes’ free kick, but the Jags saw the game out.
Attention returns to the league this weekend and on Saturday Thistle host second place Port Glasgow.
Thistle sit seventh with 10 games in hand over leaders Glasgow Perthshire and if they win their outstanding games they would go top of the table.
Campbell added: “Port had a good win over Dunipace at the weekend, so they’ll be coming to the Showpark with their tails up. We lost narrowly there earlier in the season (2-1), so I hope we can get a result this time.”
Kick-off at the Showpark is 2pm.