Super Jags into the Superleague

Thistle gaffer Kevin Walker expressed his pride at leading his team into the Superleague as a win and a draw from their last two games, gained them automatic promotion ahead of Glentanar.

Still slightly hoarse from the weekend, Walker reflected on his side’s success, "I am highly delighted, we all are. At the start of the season we were looking to get into the top six so to finish runners-up is beyond what I could have hoped for and credit to the players because they have done really well.

"We finished fourth bottom last season, which I don’t think we actually deserved.

"There wasn’t a lot of points between the bottom four and the top six, but we took in younger boys like Jon Fraser, who has done really well for us, and the boys who are now in their second or third season at the club are stepping up to the plate and putting down their marker to show they are more than capable of playing at this level."

NERVOUS

The target set by the manager in last week’s Gazette was to get four points from their remaining two games and that is what they achieved, albeit with a few twists and turns thrown in.

Walker said, "On Tuesday night, we played really well and by half-time we could have had it all done and dusted. We could have been three or four nil up which would have helped the goal difference and taken the pressure off on Saturday, but we just like doing it the hard way.

"We scored early in each half on Saturday and that seemed to take the pressure off us, although it was never the best of games because the wind was really swirling. We felt we could relax a bit, but Chris Ross had to come off injured and that seemed to upset us at the back and we lost two goals in a minute to set up a nervous last ten minutes. The lads did well and stuck in to get the result they deserved.

That set up quite a party, although Walker’s mind is already turning to next season.

"We are enjoying the excitement at the minute and that is what it is all about, but next year is going to be a different story. Mark Pennie is retiring and Matty Davidson looks to be heading along the road (to join the Mechanics) while Matty Fraser will return to Mosset Park after being on loan. They are important players so we will be on the lookout for boys to come in and bolster the squad again this year.

Walker admitted that he would consider adding players to the squad from outwith the town if that was required.

"We are really pleased and proud that all the lads who have achieved this come from Forres and I think we have a great spirit at the club. However, that isn’t something that is set in stone. It is going to be a big commitment next year as we will be through in Aberdeen every second week so we may have to cast the net a little wider in order to deal with that, but we will see."