No title talk yet from Kirkintilloch Rob Roy boss

Rob Roy may be two points clear at the top of the Super League with four games in hand over their nearest challengers - but boss Stewart Maxwell isn’t talking titles just yet.
Rob Roy went top after beating previous leaders Pollok on Saturday. (Pic: Ross MacDonald)Rob Roy went top after beating previous leaders Pollok on Saturday. (Pic: Ross MacDonald)
Rob Roy went top after beating previous leaders Pollok on Saturday. (Pic: Ross MacDonald)

A Kevin Watt goal gave Rabs a 1-0 win at Pollok at Newlandsfield on Saturday which saw them replace their Glasgow rivals in pole position at the top of the table.

But manager Stewart Maxwell is still insisting that the newly promoted Kirkintilloch side’s first aim is survival and that it will stay that way until safety is guaranteed.

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He said: “It just means we are another three points closer to surviving - we’re still not at the stage of talking about trying to win the league.

“There are only 12 teams in the league - two go down and one goes into a relegation play-off which means that only nine teams are sure of staying up.

“I still think that 25 points will be what’s needed to keep us out of the play-offs and that remains our target. Once we reach that total we can have another look at things but at the moment survival remains our priority.

“As much as we like to get the ball down and play, it’s all about working hard and scrapping for the result.

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“It was always going to be a physical test at Pollok and we stood up to that. It was a scrappy game and there weren’t a lot of clear cut chances but we dug in well and defensively we were excellent.

“It’s a massive win for us and it was a great team effort, backed by the supporters who were fantastic.”

Next up for Rabs is their final match of 2015, at home to Shettleston on Saturday.

Maxwell said: “Shettleston will be another physical side for us to face on Saturday and we’ve got to stand up to that challenge again and remain strong defensively.

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“If we can do that and keep our discipline then our strikers are always dangerous and likely to cause problems.

“There’s definitely a growing self-belief among the players. I think they realise now that this is not just a flash in the pan but that they have a chance to do something this season.

“We’ve got a great team spirit. Everyone works for each other and hopefully that can see us through again on Saturday.”

The Rabs boss has also appealed for fans to donate to a food bank collection before Saturday’s game.

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Donations of toiletries and non-perishable foods are particularly wanted and everything collected will be handed over to the foodbank at Kirkintilloch Baptist Church.

Maxwell said: “We are very much a community club and every donation will go to helping local people.”