Published: Thursday, 14th August, 2008 09:45
New Oakley boss gets off to a winning start
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NEW Oakley gaffer John Allison got off to the perfect start by beating Fife giants Hill of Beath in his first game in charge on Saturday.
The former Forfar, Elgin, Cowdenbeath and East Fife player was appointed at the start of the summer after Willie Newbigging walked away from Blairwood Park after nine years.
Allison, who will be assisted by Colin Burke, saw his new charges beat the Haws 2-1 in the ACA Sports Central League Cup with Burke scoring a double to complete a dream start for the new management duo ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
“It’s a great start and will give my boys confidence,” Allison told Press Sport.
It’s Allison’s first job in management and he said, “First and foremost I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“We lost a lot of players from last year so I knew it was going to be a hard job to replace them but I think I have found one or two gems.
“We’ve got one or two boys making their debuts at juniors level so being realistic, we’ll be looking to finish as near the top of the table as we can. I would like to go up but this season may just be about consolidation.”
Oakley secretary Dougie Hynd paid tribute to Newbigging, who resigned at the end of last season’s relegation from the Super League.
“Eight trophies in nine years says it all,” Hynd said. “He’s done a fantastic job for the club first as a player, as a coach and then as manager.
“I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of the club for the hard work he has put into the team. I’ve got nothing but praise for the job he’s done.”
Newbigging will be a hard act to follow but Hynd is convinced the committee have appointed the right man in Allison.
“He’s a local laddie from Blairhall and we wanted to keep the continuity within the club,” he said.
“We felt as a committee John was the right boy to take the club forward.”
Kelty boss Stevie Leighton was disappointed to see his Kelty Hearts side crash to a 3-1 defeat in the same competition at Lochgelly, who are two divisions below their Super League opponents.
New signing Ryan Blackadder was sent off and although manager’s son Garry Leighton pulled one back for the Jambos, it wasn’t enough.
“It’s probably the strongest squad I’ve ever had so I’m just really disappointed,” Stevie Leighton said.
“It was down to players playing badly on the day and the work rate was really poor. I don’t know if they felt they just had to turn up but hopefully, that’s given them the kick up the arse they needed.”
As well as Blackadder, who figured in East Fife’s third division title-winning team last season, Leighton has recruited son Garry from the Pars and Rosyth pair Craig Morrison and Jordan Laird and the manager said, “Hopefully, the new faces will provide the wee changes which will push us on.
“We should be aiming to win a couple of cups and hopefully feature in the top half of the league.”
Rosyth had Dean Ogg sent off in a 2-1 defeat at Crossgates, for whom last season’s top scorer Mark Pagliarulo scored a double.
Saturday fixtures: ACA Sports Central League Cup, section 1 – Hill of Beath v Steelend Victoria, Rosyth Recreation v Oakley United. Section 4 – Lochore Welfare v Kelty Hearts. Kick-offs 2.30pm.
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Pars rule out standing at East End Park