Arthurlie assistant manager Tam McLaughlin has challenged his side to keep their feet on the ground after clinching the club’s biggest league win in eight years with a resounding 6-1 win away to St Rochs.

McLaughlin and manager Duncan Sinclair took over at the start of the summer with a confirmed squad of just three players and despite the incredible turnaround and convincing start to life in the West Region Championship, McLaughlin has refused to get carried away.

He said: “It’s all been about building towards that first league game from when we came in until now. We started with just three players signed up so it’s been a big job. The players that have come in have done well so it’s good that we got the first three points on the board. It’s a good start for us. 

“But that’s all it is, a start. We’ve still got a lot of hard work still to do as well but if someone had said to me before the game on Saturday that we would win 6-1 I would have taken that all day long. 

“I didn’t know it was the club’s biggest league win in eight years but it’s early doors so we’re not going to get carried away. It’s just one game at a time and we need to keep our feet on the ground and focus on the next game which is Benburb.”

The Lie actually fell behind to St Rochs when Kieran Daw slotted home from the spot for the hosts.

But the Dunterlie Park side, who have shown a new resolve since Sinclair and McLaughlin’s arrival, fought back well to level 10 minutes later after Del McNab’s strike left the keeper no chance.

The visitors took the lead moments later when they were awarded their own penalty which Jamie Docherty cooly netted.

Barrhead News:

Jamie Docherty tucks away a spot-kick to give Arthurlie the lead

It was one way traffic in a dominant second half display for McLaughlin’s men with Docherty heading home his second and his side’s third.

Arthurlie were in control and secured the points when McNab laid it off for Jamie Gray who made no mistake from close range.

Docherty deservedly bagged his hat-trick soon after from another header before substitute Dom O’Halloran put the icing on the cake, curling it home from the edge of the area to top off a fantastic display from the home side. 

McLaughlin added: “It’s a credit to the boys to bounce back form going a goal down then put six past them. We had a game plan we wanted to stick to and the boys stuck to it, you can see the boys are all going to work for each other this season so the credit is all theirs.”

The Lie now head to New Tinto Park to face Benburb in their second match of the season. 

The side’s last met two weeks ago in the Sectional League Cup with Arthurlie winning 5-3 but McLaughlin will not let his side show any complacency.

He said: “Our last game against Benburb was a close one. We scored two goals in the last 10 minutes to make the scoreline look comfortable. We’re at their ground now which is the 4G stuff so we’ll need to be wary of that.

"It’s going to a hard game for us but we do have a bit of confidence from the 6-1 result so hopefully we can take that into the game and grind it out.”