Gartcairn clinch promotion as boss eyes First Division title

Gartcairn earned promotion to the West of Scotland Premier Division with a 2-0 win over Johnstone Burgh, and boss Mick Dunlop says five more points will guarantee them the title.

The Airdrie club are on an 11-game unbeaten run, having drawn 2-2 with Drumchapel United last midweek, heading into clashes at Shotts tonight (Wednesday) and Cumbernauld United on Saturday.

Though he knows five more points will arithmetically mean the MTC Park club can’t be caught, Dunlop insists he’s only looking at the next game.

But he’s delighted to have clinched promotion, following an arduous season.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted, over the moon. The players have been first class the whole season.

“I first came in during the summer, we were starting from scratch, and the players have responded really well to everything we’re trying to do.

“I couldn’t have asked any more of them, they’ve been outstanding.

“You get to the business end of the season and roll off 11 games undefeated in the league – nine wins and two draws – they were absolutely outstanding and deserve every credit coming their way.

“If we win two games that’s it done mathematically, cos we’re five points ahead and there are only three games to go.

“I think we need a minimum of five more points, but I don’t really look at it like that, I just focus on the next game.

“But we’re not depending on anybody else’s results now, if we win the games then it’s in our own hands, and this is the position you’d be dreaming of, at the start of the season.

“We just need to look after ourselves.”

Dunlop expects a tough game against a Shotts side that have probably left themselves safe from the drop, with a five-point gap between themselves and 14th-placed Whitletts Vics, but both sides