Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Kirrie boss won’t get carried away
KIRRIE Thistle lead the way in the North League going into the new year.
Pleased as he is to go into 2017 as league leaders, Kirrie boss Jim Finlayson, typically, is wary of making any assumptions.
He said: “Being top going into the break, especially as it is so tight, is the worst place to be as it puts added pressure on us.
“With only four points separating the top five, the promotion race will go right to the wire.
“In addition, the league is much more competitive, and with Arbroath Vics, Coupar Angus, East Craigie, Lochee Harp and Newburgh all much improved, there are no easy games.”
However, the wily Finlayson is happy with how his team have coped thus far.
“The players have done well and, unlike last season when we just missed out on going up, we have won games when not really being at our best.
“Indeed, the only game in which we let ourselves down was when Hill of Beath knocked us out of the Scottish Cup.
“We showed them too much respect but that was my fault and not the players.
“And I can only ask for a continuation of how they have performed in the first half of the season.”
Lochee Harp kicked off the season with Dave Martin in charge.
However, he only lasted a few weeks after a disagreement over the direction the club was going in forced him to quit.
Coach Michael Gormley took over at the helm and, although results haven’t always been positive, the Beechwood side have earned praise for their attacking style.
If they maintain their progress, they could finish in the top half of the league.
East Craigie and North End are in fairly similar positions with both showing plenty of promise. However, inconsistency has dogged both sides and they are unlikely to feature in the promotion dogfight.
The Shipbuilders aren’t completely out of the race and, on their day, are capable of beating anyone. But if they are to challenge, they must improve an away record which has seen them lose three of their five games away from Craigie Park.