Beith Juniors: Chris Strain delighted with league start

The manager couldn't hide his delight at a perfect week to start his side's defence of the West of Scotland Football League Premier Division.

Strain was speaking after Beith picked apart Irvine Meadow at Bellsdale Park, winning 4-0 on Saturday.

Goals from Carlo Monti, Ryan Monan and a Ciaran Diver double handed The Mighty all three points - and made it three wins from three since the season kicked off last weekend.

Chris Strain. (Image: Stephen Kerr)

“I’m pleased with the week, we scored nine goals, conceded one, got nine points," Strain told the Herald after the match again Meadow.

"I’m delighted with the output – it couldn’t have gone much better for us.

“Today was reasonably comfortable, we scored at the right time, and dictated the game from there.”

“I think it’s important for us to set the standards and continue the standards from last year."

And last year's title win is something Strain is certainly hoping to emulate this year, insisting his side are still not considered favourites by many despite last seasons explouts.

He said: “I’m not trying to take anything away from anybody else but there are teams that are more fancied and teams that people look to before us and we’re more of an afterthought.

“It’s just up to us to go and do our job and that’s what I’m pleased about – the guys set their standards week in and week out and they genuinely don’t fall that far below them. If we do that and work as hard as we work then we will be difficult to beat for teams.

“We want to defend our title, there’s no doubt about that, we’ve proved that we were good enough to go do it last year – it’s about putting consistency together and we’ve shown that at the start of the season.

“We’re three games in, we’re a week in, let’s not get carried away with ourselves, but you can’t do much more than what we’ve done this week.”

One of the reasons many may have thought Beith would struggle this season was the loss of last year's top scorer, Josh Fowler.

Though as Ciaran Diver scored two on Saturday, making it four goals in three league games, many of the fans were asking "Josh who?".

Strain was not surprised by Diver's output thus far, as he knows he has built a strong team around the striker.

He commented: “He (Ciaran Diver) could have had two more today, maybe three.

“We’re adapting how we play and Ciaran’s come in and adapting how he plays. He’s certainly got bags and bags of potential.

“Josh done very well for us last year but we were far from a one man team – a lot of the time Josh put finishing touches on how we were playing.

“Ciaran’s come in and hit the ground running and I’m delighted for him and the boys roundabout him are working extremely hard to make sure we’re creating chances and we’re playing on the front foot.

“That’s what I want and I’m delighted for everyone.”

Beith now take a brief break from league action this coming weekend, as they face a trip to take on Carnoustie Panmure in the first preliminary round of the Scottish Cup.

Strain was delighted to "maximise points” before this, and now has his sights set firmly on a run in the competition.

He said: “One ambition that we have got is to go further in the cups.

“Carnoustie next week will be a difficult tie away from home and we want to go there and impose our game on them and see how we go.”