BONNYRIGG ROSE boss Alan Miller insisted today his side will be ready to meet the challenge of a Super League opener with Bathgate Thistle head-on when their campaign gets underway tomorrow.
The New Dundas Park outfit endured a difficult League Cup campaign, failing to qualify from their group as they were beaten by Linlithgow Rose and dropped points against lower league Broxburn Athletic and Edinburgh United.
By contrast Bathgate sc
ored goals for fun in their group with the likes of Paul McGrillen, Brian McPhee and on-trial former Scotland internationalist Andy McLaren impressing. Miller, however, is confident that his team – bolstered by two new signings, defender Andy Campbell from Edinburgh United and striker Andy Howat of Berwick Rangers – will be up to the challenge this weekend.
"We will be better prepared than we have been in recent weeks," said Miller, pictured below. "We have a couple of new faces and two guys I know well from my time at Edinburgh. We're glad to get them and they will both go straight into the match squad.
"They have valuable senior experience and that was something we were looking for. We needed to compensate for a couple of guys that had left the club.
"We've watched Bathgate recently so we understand that they are a threat. But what we need to do is concentrate on our own game and try and be a threat to them. We're at home and we're not going to stand back and watch them playing. We need to make sure it's competitive and give them a game.
"We have John Elliot still out injured and Grant Killin will miss out as well but other than that the rest of the squad will be okay." Meanwhile, Bathgate coach Alan Lawrence believes that, despite their opponents' indifferent form in the League Cup, Bonnyrigg will provide a tough test for his players.
Bathgate also failed to qualify for the knock-out stages of the competition after failing to beat Camelon in their final group game, but they recorded a number of emphatic victories to suggest they can be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Last term they lifted the Scottish Junior Cup, but they failed to do themselves justice in the Super League and that, says Lawrence, is something they are looking to rectify this season. "Our main aim has to be the league," said the former Hearts and Airdrie striker.
"We wanted to do well in the League Cup and, of course, we'd have liked to have won it but the big ones for us are the league and the Scottish Cup.
"We at least want to challenge in the league because we were poor on that front last season and we know that. We want the guys to have the bit between their teeth and go out and try and win the league so it's important to get off to a good start this weekend.
"Bonnyrigg haven't had the best of results in their cup group but there aren't any easy games in this league and they are still a very good team. They've had a few changes but they still have quality players and they have brought in a good manager so I'm sure that it will be a tough game.
"They'll be well organised and will be hard to beat that is for sure. They'll want to get off to a good star the same as us."
McLaren is again expected to turn out for Thistle as he bids to win a deal at Creamery Park and, although still short of match fitness, Lawrence believes the winger could be an excellent addition to the squad.
He said: "He's worked hard and done alright for us but he's still a wee bit away, but if he can get fully fit then he'd definitely be a worthwhile signing.
"He had a great pedigree and it's there for everyone to see. He seems to still have the hunger and desire to do well and if that is the case then I'm sue he can be a good player."
The full article contains 689 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
