Willie eyes promo next term
Rutherglen Glencairn’s hopes of reaching the top tier of junior football in the West may be over.
But manager Willie Harvey admits he could not be prouder of his players who battled to the very last day of the season.
The Glens could only manage a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Cumbernauld United on Monday.
Harvey’s men knew that anything less than three points would end all hope, however slim, of being promoted but were met by a determined United team who also needed the three points for very different reasons.
Despite not attending the game earlier this week due to illness, Harvey insisted his players could hold their heads up high for their achievements.
He said: “It was disappointing that we didn’t get there in the end but I cannot fault the boys’commitment and hard work over the season.
“Hopefully next season we can go on and complete the task.”
He added:“They can 100 per cent be proud of themselves.
“It was a relatively new team and it took a while for us to gel together, which was expected.
“But, over the course of the year, I thank every single one of them for their efforts. “Every one of them played their part.” Paul Murphy’s expertly taken first half free-kick put Cumbernauld in the driving seat in a must-win game for both sides. Glens striker Alessandro Savarese levelled in the 90th minute to give his side hope but they ran out of time to find that all-important winner.
The result, coupled with rivals Girvan and Petershill’s victories over Maryhill and Irvine Meadow, respectively, leaves Glencairn in fifth spot in the Super First Division.
Despite missing out on going up, Harvey must be applauded for his work at the club ensured only five defeats in the league all season, which ended with one loss in the last 16 games.
The Glens will now welcome near neighbours Cambuslang Rangers into the division next season which means two competitive derbies are set to grace the towns once again.