BURGH ARE THE CHAMPIONS

Published 26 May 2010 14:14 0 Comments

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Wishaw 1 Johnstone Burgh 6

GEORGE Walker celebrated his side's championship win and then vowed to keep hold of his most valuable players for next season.

Johnstone Burgh won the league in emphatic fashion as they thrashed Wishaw 6-1 to be crowned Central District Second Division champions in front of a 200-strong crowd on Wednesday.

Walker now knows his title-winning heroes - including John Sherry, John Cuddihy and Steven Fitzpatrick - can build on this championship win.

And the Burgh boss insisted he wants to tie up his biggest players for next season's campaign in the Central District First Division.

He told Gazette Sport: "The boys played really well.

"We were 5-1 up at half time. We looked a bit vulnerable from set pieces, that's how we lost the goal but I really can't say any more about the players.

"We won 6-1 and won the championship so it has been an amazing season and I didn't expect to be where we are just now.

"The players, coaching staff and fans have been terrific. We haven't lost a league game in Johnstone this season and we have only lost two games overall in the league. We will hopefully get players tied up to the club as there are some clubs sniffing about them.

"We have some quality players at this club. We will want to build on this for next season because we will be going into a bigger league and it will be a bigger challenge for us."

Despite an early scare, when the Burgh rearguard were forced into action the Walker's fired up troops never looked like letting the title slip from their grasp in Lanarkshire. After only nine minutes the unmarked McIntyre rose high at the back post to head home a cross from the left and despite the hosts equalising moments later Burgh soon went on to secure victory.

In an end-to-end match Burgh were back in front three minutes later when Brolly smashed home a 25-yard shot before the same player added another spectacular goal from long-range.

And the match effectively ended as a contest in 32 minutes when Chalmers headed home a cross from the left to put his side 4-1 in front.

On the stroke of half-time Brolly completed his hat-trick with an unchallenged header and Sherry rounded off the evening's work with a well-taken strike in the second half. This romp over Wishaw completed a league double over the Lanarkshire side, and in the last encounter five red cards were dished out in a fiery affair at Keanie Park which Burgh won 4-0 last month.

Meanwhile, in the Cup Winners Cup, Johnstone Burgh were knocked out of the competition by Ayrshire outfit Hurlford United after they went down 3-0 at Blair Park.

This article appeared in The Gazette 26 May 10

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