We’llhaveto fightagainst topteams
EAST KILBRIDE THISTLE ..................... 0 DRUMCHAPEL UNITED ...................... 2
East Kilbride Thistle co-boss Alan Paterson has urged his side to show a bit of character as they bid for points from a tough run of games.
Jags lost 2-0 to second-placed Drumchapel United in the West of Scotland League Conference C last weekend, and face leaders Neilston on Saturday, fresh from their 8-0 hammering of Glasgow Perthshire.
However, Paterson says his players knew how tough a league it was when they signed up, and they can’t afford to feel sorry for themselves.
He said:“I think after the performance against Petershill their confidence is a wee bit shattered, because these boys are used to winning, and now they’re up a level it’s going to be harder.
“But they’re going to have to battle and fight.
“I can’t fault their effort on Saturday, Drumchapel’s class was just that bit more – they have an ex-Ayr United player in there, and some really good players.
“We’ve got Neilston on Saturday, who are on the back of an 8-0 win, so it’s going to be a hard one.”
Paterson added:“This is what they all signed up for at the start of the season when we asked them to come in.
“I didn’t expect the run to be as tough as this, with both top teams at one time, but you’ve got to play them at some point.
“We’ve just got to stick together, win and lose as a team, get through the next few weeks, and then start again.
“This is a time for them to show a bit of character.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves, it’s a tough league and that’s it.
“But I was a wee bit disappointed in the Petershill game, because I felt that we just accepted defeat.
“We were up against better players there, but we have to roll our sleeves up and get on with it, and I felt like they just took it.”
Paterson says his side showed a little bit of fight, though, and added: “Although Drumchapel United are a very good side, we weren’t over-awed by them or anything like that, and we made a better account of ourselves.
“We lost two goals in the first half and we sort of rallied in the second half, but to be fair I think Drumchapel maybe could have gone up another gear.
“They are a very good side, but we showed a bit more of the solid side to our game.
“These teams will go into a better league than us next season, and they’ll be up at the top of those as well.”