Arthurlie announced themselves in the top flight after pulling off a sensational win against title hopefuls Hurlford.
The Barrhead side went into the clash as huge underdogs but came away with all three points thanks to Dale Simeon’s decisive first-half goal.
The visitors’ win could have been even more emphatic if another effort wasn’t controversially chalked off for offside, despite the critical pass into the box clearly going backwards.
Nevertheless, delighted boss Craig Palmer said he was proud of his players for putting in such a strong showing against a top side away from home – with the result lifting them up to 13th in the Premier Division table.
Palmer told Arthurlie Media: “After the disappointment of Cambuslang the other week, I cannot fault the boys. That was tremendous.
“I thought we were good for three or four [goals]. My boys to a man were outstanding. We controlled the game and had lots and lots of chances. Their big goalie was excellent.
“The one that’s chalked off, we’re about three or four yards onside. That’s what I know these boys can do, now it’s up to them to believe it.
“We had seven boys missing, so for my squad to go and do that is excellent. It’s going to be hard for those seven boys to get back in. Three points on the board at this stage is massive for us.”
Arthurlie’s 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Cambuslang Rangers last month looks to have been a turning point in the Barrhead club’s season after a tough start.
Palmer hopes his side can continue to take belief from their recent wins, starting with this weekend’s home clash against Petershill.
Palmer said: “The Cambuslang game was one of the worst games I’ve ever been involved in, as a player or a coach, and I said that to the boys.
“It was horrific. We had a good talk about it at training and drew a line under everything.
“We’ve got Petershill coming up and that’s another one we need to believe that we can go and win. The boys just need to believe in themselves now.
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“It sounds like a cliche but hopefully that does kickstart our season. Hurlford are a top team and were top of the league. We need to now go and carry that performance on to Petershill.”
