Defiant Martin lays down the gauntlet to his squad: Prove to all you’re not the weakest link

Aug 20 2008 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

DEFIANT Paul Martin wants his team to prove they aren’t the weakest link.

The Albion Rovers boss is staying positive despite his side opening their league campaign with three straight defeats.

The Coatbridge outfit entertain Berwick Rangers this weekend on the back of five consecutive losses but Martin insists his players are more than a match for the rest of the division.

Bottom dogs Rovers went down 2-1 to Cowdenbeath on Saturday - a result Martin branded a “total injustice” following their 3-2 midweek Challenge Cup reverse at the hands of the Fifers.

He told the Advertiser: “It must be a big frustration to the fans but I am sure they can see how we are trying to play and that we weren’t a million miles away from winning on Saturday.

“Statistically, we are the worst team in the league because we are sitting bottom with no points.

“If it was the Weakest Link, we would be out of the game show by now - but there are another 33 rounds for us to show that we are a strong side getting stronger.

The 43-year-old added: “We had more chances on Saturday than we did last Tuesday.

“I felt we dominated the play and there could have been no arguments had we won the game and for us to be beaten was a total injustice. But the last thing we need to be doing just now is panicking. We have to keep going forward.

“We have lost four really tight games in the last ten days or so and we have probably deserved to win a couple and draw a couple.

“I think we have already established that we are as good as anyone. If you are not competitive you don’t end up on the wrong side of tight games - you end up getting skelped.

“What we have suffered from is an ability to capitalise on good possession and good chances and maybe our concentration has let us down a couple of times.

“We don’t have a problem with belief - we have a problem winning games.”

Martin has signed ex-Ayr United midfielder Mark Casey and yesterday added forner Clyde defender Ross Harris who agreed to sign on at Cliftonhill.

TEAM NEWS: Defenders Alan Benton and Chris Hughes could be fit but Callan Adam is definitely out of the match. New boy Casey is available for selection and boss Martin will be hoping striker Marc Pollock recovers from a neck problem that saw him miss the weekend trek to Cowdenbeath.