Whitburn manager insists survival is possible

Apr 21 2011 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

MATT COULTER admits Whitburn face an uphill struggle to beat the drop but he is adamant that until it is mathematically impossible nobody at the club will stop fighting for every point in their bid to stave off relegation.

The Burnie boss concedes time is now against the club, who were held to a home 1-1 draw with Carnoustie Panmure on Saturday, and who are sitting in second-bottom spot with the gap widening between them and the clubs ahead of them.

But he says his side’s performances and points gained in their last two matches, against two of the title hopefuls, have shown him they can turn things around and secure their Premier League place.

He said: “We will keep working hard until it is mathematically impossible to beat it.

“Our last few matches have been against sides at the top and we’ve taken points which has shown us that on our day we are as good as any side in the league but unfortunately some decisions and silliness has gone against us.

“We have to keep pushing and keep hoping. We have three matches left and we’ll be looking for 12 points in those games.

“It has not been an easy season and we have been trying to build a new team from scratch. We haven’t been helped by having to miss three months of the season too with the weather while injuries have hit us hard.

“We are all still positive and have to try but fair play to Kinnoull who have done really well in the past weeks to win their last two games and we have to ask the question now of ourselves.

“We are all hopeful we can stay in the league but we know it won’t be easy but we’ll keep fighting hard and I believe the last few weeks have shown we can do that.”

With their Premier League place hanging on a shoogily nail Whitburn needed a big performance when high-flying Carnoustie Panmure visited Central Park and they got one.

It was a result which didn’t look likely as third-placed Carnoustie took a first-half lead when Mike McIlravey steered home a Kevin Milne cross.

The crossbar spared Whitburn from falling further behind just before the break when Robert Hendry’s looping effort cannoned back off the woodwork.

Twelve minutes from time the homesters pulled level when Jamie Mackay blasted home from close range after Charles McCole’s effort had come back out off the inside of the post.

Whitburn: Trialist, Wright, Mooney, Rarity, McGurk, Martindale, Dickov (McCole), Mackay, Murphy, Miller, Mahon, Subs: Woodhouse, Hampson, Carlin