JOHNSTONE Burgh boss Jamie McKim hailed his players second-half performance as they beat Rossvale at Keanie Park on Saturday to stay joint-top of the First Division.

After a frustrating opening 45, Thomas Cruden got the first goal of the afternoon a few minutes into the second-half when he showed good composure to cushion the ball into the net from a wayward Rossvale header.

Burgh were made to wait to seal the points as Jojo Gillespie reacted first to a loose ball on 87 minutes and Robbie Stirling headed home from a corner in added time.

McKim was delighted with the timing of the goal at the start of the second-half to break the deadlock and always felt confident his side would break Rossvale down.

Speaking to Gazette Sport, he said: “I’m delighted with the clean sheet and the three goals but performance wise I thought we were really poor in the first-half. In the second-half we upped it, we were good in the second-half.

“Rossvale came to frustrate us and sit in and made it difficult for us but it looked as if it was a matter of time until we scored.

“I thought at the time it wasn’t a 3-0 game but having watched it back it was a fair result.

“I thought a fast start to the second-half was massively important. The boys were frustrated at half-time.

“We spoke to them and reset and got them to do what they are good at which is play football and cause problems and we did that so when the goal came we deserved it.

“There are no easy games in this league so to get a 3-0 win at home you can’t crumble too much.”

Burgh host Campbeltown Pupils in the South Challenge Cup on Saturday with McKim admitting that he doesn’t have as much information on his opponents as he would normally like.

He explained: “I was fuming at the weekend because my brother was meant to be playing against them for Glenvale but it was called off.

“He’s played against them a few times over the last few years so we know a bit about them and who their stronger players are.

“We’re probably struggling for as much detail as we normally get but we have enough.

“They’ll see this as a free hit. 

“We’ll be expected to win and the pressure is on so we need to perform.”

Kick-off at Keanie Park is at 2pm.