20-05-2025
Threave Rovers secure West of Scotland League promotion in style with five wins in a row
Threave Rovers secured their slot in next season's West of Scotland League Second Division in style.
The Castle Douglas side had to win all of their final five games – played inside a fortnight – to finish in the top three and win promotion in style.
And they did just that, scoring 20 goals and conceding just two in the process to edge out Greenock Juniors.
Gaffer Danny Dunglinson said: 'To do it the way we did was even better and did it with a bit of style. It wasn't like we scraped wins. We couldn't ask for much more.
'It takes it's toll on the boys physically but knowing what we had to do and having the games so close helped us.
'When we played Glasgow United, we said if Irvine Vics had been the next night I'd have been confident.
'After we played them, we couldn't wait for the next game. It snowballed and when it's like that you forget about the fatigue and tiredness and the adrenaline gets you through.'
Threave joined the West of Scotland League in 2022, winning promotion a year later.
Last year, their game with Lanark United was abandoned late on with Threave winning. The replayed match finished in a draw, costing Threave another promotion.
This time around a game with Glasgow United was abandoned with the scores level. That was one of Threave's final five games, with Dunglinson's men triumphing 5-0.
Dunglinson - who stepped up from player to manage the team this season – said: 'I'm a big believer in fate. We lost out last year due to the game getting abandoned. This year it got abandoned and we turned a potential one point into three.
'What worked against us last year has worked for us this year. There's an old saying in football everything evens itself out and that proves it.
'Greenock will be bitterly disappointed, as we were last season.
'Stuff like that makes you stronger and I'm sure they'll bounce back. We did what we had to do, the boys and committee were happy so it's all good.
'It was the aim when we came in, nothing else was going to be acceptable.
'We've done it the hard way, we had to win the last five, but there was never any point I didn't have the belief. 'I know there were some question marks outwith due to the volume of games we had.
'The turning point was the Greenock game we drew 2-2. There was handbags after the game where they were a wee bit arrogant and saying it was a great point.
'I think they thought they'd wrapped it up and made them complacent and they went on a bad run.
'It definitely helped our boys and made them more determined.'
Threave secured their top three slot on Saturday with a thumping 6-0 win over Vale of Leven.
Aiden Kerr got them off and running with a goal inside the first minute.
And goals from Liam Park and Ross Irving had them 3-0 up after just 10 minutes, although Threave were then reduced to 10 men.
But Cairnie scored twice more before the break, completing his hat-trick in spectacular style, to ensure the team could relax in the second half, with a Tam Coles goal the icing on the promotion cake.
One player who missed Saturday's game was Charlie Watson.
The midfielder has been battling skin cancer this season and was recently told he had just weeks to live.
He had to miss the title triumph as he was getting a blood transfusion but he was still part of the celebrations.
Dunglinson said: 'His step dad Richard was there and after the game we put him on FaceTime and on the big screen. He was able to feel part of it because everything we've done this season is for him.
'We were as determined for him as much as everything.
'I've spoken to him since and he was happy. He managed to come to the awards night on Saturday – he finished his transfusion at half nine at night, they took the canula out and said he wanted to go to Threave!'
Watson is one of a number of players who have signed new deals at Threave, along with Dylan Cairnie, Harry Officer, Liam Nish, Liam Douglas, Ross Thomson, Liam Park, Aiden Kerr, Jamie Thompson and Alex Henderson.
The Castle Douglas side are gearing up for life in the second division – and Dunglinson isn't ruling out a third promotion in the four years since they swapped the South of Scotland League for the West.
He said: 'I don't think there's as much pressure but as a camp we want to be pushing at the top end of the table and putting together another promotion challenge.
'Restructuring might be happening so the top six or eight could go up. If it's top eight that's half the league so that would be the minimum requirement.
'From our point of view, even if it is the top three we want to be pushing and be there or thereabouts.'
