All still rosy at Rossvale despite recent defeats
THE transformation of Rossvale Juniors since David Gormley became team manager has been remarkable with his side even managing to gatecrash the Premiership top six.
However, with key players missing this upward spiral is under threat with the team having dropped to seventh and looking to avoid a third consecutive league defeat when hosting Beith today.
Influential pair Sean Higgins and Jamie Donnelly will return for the New Tinto Park encounter but Frazer Johnstone and Liam McGonigle will still be missing due to suspension.
Rossvale’s last victory was a 2-1 Ardagh Group West of Scotland Cup win over reigning trophy holders Beith and one of their goalscorers, Del McNab, believes a repeat performance is not beyond him and his team-mates.
“It’s been said our Rossvale team have hit the skids, but nothing could be further from the truth because results don’t reflect how we’ve played really well in both losing games only for the breaks to go against us,” he said.
“To concede an injury-time goal and lose 2-1 against Auchinleck when down to eight men was so unlucky and last week, minus the suspended guys and Higgy [on holiday], we pushed Kilbirnie Ladeside all the way and could just as easily have come away with all three points instead of a 2-1 defeat.
“Now comes a massive test at home to Beith only a few weeks after our last meeting and I’m pretty sure they will go into the game as favourites despite our winning last time out. However, being written off as underdogs is nothing new for us.
“We are so much better than recent results have shown, and this is our chance to prove it.”
There is bound to be fierce rivalry in the dugout between former Auchinleck Talbot team-mates Gormley and Bryan Young, but Vale top marksman McNab is equally determined to put one over a former team-mate – Beith’s uncompromising centre-back Ryan Docherty.
The 28-year-old striker said: “I started out in the Juniors as a winger with Glasgow Perthshire and moved to Rutherglen Glencairn where Ryan was the cornerstone of our defence and someone who stood out a mile because he gave his all every time he pulled on a jersey.
“He’s as tough as nails as you might expect from someone who has completed at least one Iron Man competition for charity and we get on well, but I’m not anticipating he will hold back in any tackles on me today as it’s just not in his nature.
“A nicer guy you would struggle to find off the pitch but for 90 minutes he will bite, scratch, kick and do whatever is needed to prevent anyone scoring against his Beith team.
“The fact I scored with a header in our West of Scotland Cup game will be a sore point for him as it will be for big John Sheridan, his equally-experienced partner in Beith’s back line, but I’m relishing the opportunity to do so again – if selected of course.”
The return of goalkeeper and team captain Donnelly is no foregone conclusion after 17-year-old Jacques Heraghty, signed on loan from Queens Park, turned in an outstanding performance at Valefield last weekend, including a magnificent penalty kick save.
Beith’s fledgling boss Young, seeking to extend his unbeaten run to four games since taking charge last month, may look to tweak his team to rest a few players ahead of next weekend’s crunch Macron Scottish Cup quarter-final clash against Kello Rovers.
With midfielder Darren Ramsay being ruled out of the last-eight tie due to suspension, he is likely to come into the manager’s thoughts for a starting place today.