Rutherglen Glencairn seal promotion as boss praises squad
Glens will be playing in the Premier Division next season
Joe Pryce praised goal hero Boris Melingui for the strike that sealed promotion to the West of Scotland Premier Division on Saturday – but says it was a whole-squad effort.
Melingui deflected a Scott Jarvie cross into the net in first-half stoppage time to earn a vital three points that saw them finish second, following winners Arthurlie into the top flight, with Renfrew going up in third place.
Pryce reckons striker Melingui provided a much-needed spark, but says everybody at the club has been rewarded for a long, hard season.
Glencairn ended with five successive wins, and nine from their last 11 games, and Pryce was also delighted with a clean sheet in Blantyre.
He said: 'It was a nervy game, and we knew it was always going to be.
'Boris scored right on half-time, we came in and settled everybody down, and though there weren't many scares in the second half, it was still nervy times, because one goal could change everything.
'We always had to keep it tight at the back. In the final game, to get a clean sheet away from home was just brilliant.
'If anybody thought that the three teams that were going for promotion were just going to sail through, that was never going to happen in our league.
'We were the only one of the three that actually won, with Renfrew and Kilwinning both dropping points.
'Boris came in just at the right time, as were going into the run-in, and were looking for a wee spark just to give us that extra edge. He has been absolutely brilliant.
'He fits into the team, he's a great lad, very popular with the players and the fans as well, and he has been brilliant.
'But it has been a full team, full squad performance. Everybody in the squad has contributed through the season, every single one of them.
'I thought the players were fantastic. In the last five games, where everything has been on the line, they've come up trumps in all five, and that's great credit to them.
'It's nine wins in 11 and I can't speak highly enough of them. After back-to-back defeats against Renfrew and Vale of Clyde, only five wins out of five was going to be enough for us.
'We put everything on the line in those five games, the players were absolutely fantastic, and I'm so happy and so proud of them.'
Roan Fitzpatrick was a big winner as Rutherglen Glencairn held their Player of the Year awards on Saturday, shortly after sealing promotion to the West of Scotland Premier Division.
Attacking midfielder Fitzpatrick won Committee Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Supporters' Player of the Year.
Striker Ryan McManus won Management Player of the Year and Top Goalscorer, while fellow hit man Boris Melingui was Website Player of the Year and Martin McBride picked up a Special Appreciation Award.
Alex Forbes won 'Grumpiest Old Git of the Year'.
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