Rossvale boss McGinty looking for home run to promotion

Rosasvale manager Brian McGinty was delighted to see his side rise to the challenge against St Roch's

The Bishopbriggs club sit fourth in the Central First Division table following Saturday’s 3-0 away win over promotion rivals St Roch’s.

That’s despite having to play their last NINE games away from home while they wait for the pitch they normally use at Petershill to be upgraded.

Promotion remains a tall order as Rossvale are 14 points adrift of runaway leaders Cambuslang Rangers, six behind Larkhall Thistle (who have a game in hand) and five behind St Roch’s (who have played two games less).

But they do still have Cambuslang to play twice plus Larkhall at home.

Rossvale haven’t played at home since beating Thorniewood United on October 1 and have nine of their remaining 12 games at home.

The first of these is due to take place on Saturday against manager Brian McGinty’s former club Bellshill Athletic, although with the pitch at Petershill still not ready it will be played at nearby Ashfield.

However McGinty doesn’t believe home advantage plays is such an important factor at junior level as it is higher up the ranks - and given that Rossvale have lost the only other two home games they have played apart from the one against Thorniewood, he may have a point.

He said: “I’m a great believer that at our level of football the best team wins, I don’t think there’s too much in terms of home advantage.”

Of more concern is his side maintaining the form they showed at St Roch’s, a performance he rates as the best since he took over at Rossvale in March.

He said: “The boys were brilliant on Saturday. From the start of the game that’s probably been the best performance in terms of a team performance since I came to the club.

“We were good value. We could have scored more and as a team we were excellent. The front two, Steven Seaton and Euan Baird, were phenomenal with just the energy and workrate they showed.

“St Roch’s had a wee spell at the start of the second half as we suspected they might with us being 2-0 up, but we defended really well. Steven Tart had probably his best game since he came to the club and just as a team we were exceptional.

“But we’ve got to go and carry that on now. To go and get promoted in a league, or to do anything in a league over a season, you need to put runs together and we’ve not done that so it’s important that we carry what we did on Saturday into next Saturday.”