Johnstone Burgh crashed out of the Scottish Junior Cup at the weekend after St Roch’s battled to a 3-2 win at Keanie Park which condemned Jamie McKim’s side to their first loss of the season.
The West Region Championship side opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before going on to double their advantage moments after the break.
Stewart Fyfe quickly pulled one back for Burgh as the Johnstone side responded well.
McKim introduced William Lennox to the action and the pacey striker had an immediate impact 55 minutes in as he levelled proceedings.
With Burgh committing men forward in search of a winner, the Candy caught them on the counter to restore their lead before digging in to see it out and hand McKim and his side their first taste of defeat this season.
And while the gaffer was understandably disappointed after watching his side’s winning run come to an end, he insists he is still proud of them for their efforts against the Championship side and reiterated the fact that promotion is his priority this season.
READ MORE: Jamie McKim not happy after West of Scotland Cup clash is called off
He said: “For long periods of the game we matched them and were the better side, which, against a team in the Championship with their budget and players, is a really hard thing to do.
“It’s a disappointing result and sad to see our winning run end but I’m still proud of our efforts.
“I’m so proud of the boys. They gave everything they had on Saturday and fought their way back into it from 2-0 down. There was a real buzz around Keanie Park too which was great to see. I don’t think the boys have had that much support before so I’m hopeful that we can continue to do what we’ve been doing this season and continue to attract that amount of supporters every week.
“The league is the main priority but, at the same time, the Scottish Cup is a big competition for this club and one we have a proud history in. Looking at it like that, we’re disappointed to go out, but looking at the bigger picture, the league is the main priority.”
Burgh now turn their attention back to their league campaign this weekend as they welcome Ardeer Thistle to Keanie Park.
McKim added: “Ardeer at Keanie this weekend is a chance to bounce back from the cup exit and also a chance to build on the league form.
“We’ve been working on Keanie Park through the week as it’s really important that these home games go ahead.
READ MORE: Burgh bandwagon rolls on with battling Thorniewood win
“People might be looking at this one with Ardeer sitting down near the bottom with two points from their last 11 matches thinking it’s a given, but we won’t.
“I had a discussion with a couple of our players and we all agree that away from the Thorniewood game, Ardeer have been our toughest opponents in the league so far.
“We struggled over the line in the win earlier this season. They’re a good side and they’ve got good young players who can hurt you if you’re not on it.
“There will be no complacency from us, though. Our boys have got a good attitude this season so there’s absolutely no chance of that.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article