'We won because we didn't gift daft goals away' - Shire boss Sandy Clark on his side's win over title-hopefuls East Kilbride

Recent signing Niyah Joseph’s superb header on the hour mark sealed the three points for Shire at the Falkirk Stadium, against the Lanarkshire side who were one of the bookies’ favourites to win promotion out of the division this campaign.

The victory moves Clark’s team to within two points of Gretna 2008 and Cowdenbeath as they look to climb away from the bottom of the table.

“I think it is fair to say that we deserved to win the match,” the boss told the Falkirk Herald. “We’ve been throwing games away recently by making horrendous mistakes and last night we didn’t do that. It is a simple as that.

“We were forced into a corner a wee bit with the injuries within the squad currently and due to suspensions, but sometimes in football that actually works for you.

“Our back four was makeshift and it was the same in the middle of the park but we didn’t make daft mistakes and that is how we won the game.

“We were well organised and we worked hard but the biggest factor was that we didn’t gift goals away – I don’t know how many times I could say it but it is that simple.

“Others teams in this league don’t give us free goals, so why should we give them golden opportunities.”

On his goalscorer, Joseph, Clark praised the forward for adding a goal threat to his side.

The 21-year-old was last on the books at Stenhousemuir but recently left the Ochilview club after Gary Naysmith joined as boss.

“It was a great goal to win the game from Niyah,” Clark said. “I was delighted for him.

“He has helped us because he is a goal threat, he scares teams a wee bit.

“We don’t have a lot of that at the moment, Dean Watson does but outwith that we were lacking a little.

“I’ve known him a long time from being at Queen of the South with him, and my assistant George Paterson does too.

“Niyah needs to get his career up and running again and I think he feels safe to do that here.

“He trusts us and I think the move will help him and us.”

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Netherdale to face Gala Fairydean Rovers, the boss is hopeful of pushing Shire up the table.

However, he admits his goal is to stabilise this campaign and then make bigger changes in the summer.

He said: “The fans understand our financial situation I think, at the moment I could actually bring in players if I wanted – the budget is there.

“But for me I think is it worth it at this time to maybe climb a couple of league positions.

“I think we can do that with this current crop of players and I don’t want to throw money away for the sake of it.”