Connolly: Thistle are on the up heading into 2024
Boss Aaron Connolly insists East Kilbride Thistle find themselves in far better shape at the end of 2023 than they did at the close of play last year.
The Jags are in Christmas shutdown mode after a tumultuous year which saw them relegated at the end of the 2022/23 season, where Connolly was picking up the pieces from Gary O’Hanlon’s ill-fated reign as boss.
Playing in the bottom tier of the West of Scotland League this season, life in the Fourth Division has gone well so far, with the Jags sitting fourth in the table and pushing for the top three promotion spots.
And Connolly believes the outlook for the club is night and day to what it was 12 months ago – and the stats are showing that for free-scoring Thistle.
He said: “My job was to develop this group of players and when I came last season, we obviously changed the squad a lot.
“We were looking to see if we could be more competitive this season and we have absolutely done that.
“I think on reflection, you can see that.
“In the last two seasons, the team scored 63 goals in both of those seasons but we are already at 65 halfway through.
“I can see we are becoming the team I want EK Thistle to be and that is testament to the hard work and effort from the boys.
“The energy and commitment they give to it is great.
“I think we have developed and we feel more like a team. We feel like we are an attacking threat in any match we play.
“We can look back on things so far and say we are absolutely in a better place than we were in June.
“And we are in a better place than we were last December.
“We might not be in the same league, but the club and the group are in a better place. It’s just about continuing that evolution.”
Thistle have been involved in their fair share of epic matches this season already and one thing Connolly’s team has guaranteed is goals, with November’s 10-1 win at Saltcoats Victoria testament to that.
Unfortunately, the goals have been flying in at the other end as well and there has been a couple of 3-3 draws in there, a 4-4 draw and an incredible 5-5.
It makes for an entertaining watch and Connolly insists he won’t change his approach in 2024.
“As a forward myself, when I took over the team I was always going to be attack-minded and aggressive,” said Connolly, whose side are next in action when they face Lugar Boswell Thistle on January 6.
“I wanted us to impose ourselves on teams and I think we are doing that.
“We just need to continue that and improve on that aspect when we come back in January.
“We have been an exciting watch for most of the season and hopefully we continue with that.
“Mitchell Rooney is on 15 goals and Michael Blues is on 12, so 27 goals between the two of them is good going.
“Jamie Scullion is another one who has popped up a lot recently and he has eight goals in 18 appearances, so we have become a real attacking threat.”