"We want to retain our crown". That was the simple message of Beith boss Chris Strain.
The determined manager spoke to the Herald earlier this week as he reviewed his side's season thus far.
It has been a strong season for the reigning West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) Premier Division champions, who are already making a strong case for retaining the league title they won for the first time last season.
Though they currently sit second in the table, six points behind leaders Clydebank, with four games in hand many would argue The Mighty are 'the team to beat' with just over half of the season remaining.
It is that very fact that Strain said is helping drive his team towards delivering further success this year.
"We’ve had a great start to the league campaign and I’m delighted with where we find ourselves at this stage of the season," he told the Herald,
"The pressure of being champions is the thing that’s driving us on. We want to defend our crown.
"We don’t want to be a flash in the pan and we have many doubters and personally I don’t feel we get the credit we deserve.
"We’re not a fashionable team but we’re a great group and we hope to improve but it’s difficult to improve on last year as 2023 was an unbelievable year in terms of consistency."
Though Strain has set an incredibly high standard at Bellsdale Park, he has been disappointed with some aspects of the season - particularly the club's performance in cup competitions.
While his side remain in the WoSFL Cup, they have been eliminated from the South Challenge, Junior Scottish and Senior Scottish Cup tournaments.
Strain said: "So far, the seasons been up and down. We wanted to go further in the cup competitions and I don’t feel we’ve done ourselves justice in those."
He cited a recent "sticky patch" as a slight cause for concern - something he may look to reinforcements to get through.
The Beith boss added: "We’ve run in to a few injuries and come through our sticky patch, however, I feel the squad needs strengthened.
"We need defensive cover and competition in midfield but getting players that are better than what we have on a budget is difficult."
However, the manager was full of praise for those who have joined his side so far.
Strain said: "The players who’ve come in during the summer have been excellent, everyone takes time to settle and the boys are a tight-knit group, which means it’s difficult for new players to come into an ethos that they might not be used to.
"I think we’ll see the benefit of having those players adapt and grow in personality over the second part of the season."
A major talking point over in the Garnock Valley has been Beith obtaining their SFA licence.
READ MORE: Beith Juniors will NOT be able to enter Lowland League play-off
After winning the league last year, The Mighty were unable to compete for promotion to the Lowland League as they did not have this in place.
It is something Strain says the club are determined to overcome, with steps now in place to overcome the challenges around obtaining this - including the recent planning application for floodlights to be installed at Bellsdale Park.
In fact, Strain says the club are "ready to go", with only red tape holding them back at present.
He continued: "In terms of licensing the club is ready to go but we’re being held back by the SFA, it’s a real source of frustration but the club are determined to move on.
"We’re ambitious as a team and I’ve heard nonsense spouted that we don’t want to progress but we all want to play, manage and operate at the highest level we can and we’re being restricted by the closing of the licensing process."
Despite these setbacks, Strain says he and his players will remain fully focused on the task at hand.
He added: "The new year will bring challenges and I think Clydebank will be the team to beat but there are others like St, Cadoc's, Gartcairn and Darvel who are capable of mounting a challenge.
"We’ve been over the course so hopefully our experience stands us in good stead as we try to win back-to-back titles."
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