Billy Campbell wasn’t too disheartened by Cambuslang Rangers’ defeat to Rutherglen Glencairn in the William Skinner Memorial Cup.
Cambuslang fell to a 2-1 defeat to their local rivals in the annual fixture, but co-boss Campbell says his side are not yet up to speed.
Glencairn ran out 2-1 winners, establishing a two-goal lead by 5-0 minutes through Darren Burns and Jack McIlveen, before Jay Nelson pulled a goal back for the Wee Gers with 30 minutes left to play.
Cambuslang couldn’t find an elusive equaliser but Campbell admits his team weren’t up to full speed as they continue to build fitness ahead of the new season.
He said: “It was our first game for a number of weeks so we were a bit rusty. We didn’t perform very well in the first half but we improved after the break.
“You have to defend the boys because it’s been a long while since they played.
“We had more structure in the second half but we made seven changes at one point so you’re bound to unsettle the balance of the team.
“Pre-season games are always tough in terms of trying to get some continuity and getting everybody some game-time.
“You need to build relationships between the players but you also need to give everyone minutes.
“Every manager will tell you that it’s a tough part of the season. You just want to get through it and kick on for the start of the season.
“We didn’t perform to our usual level and there’s a whole raft of reasons for that.
“But it’s not the end of the world because we lost 2-1 to a very good team.”
Cambuslang face St Cadoc’s and Blantyre Victoria in the next couple of weeks as they step up their pre-season preparations.
Campbell believes those games will be crucial but he’s still looking to add to his squad.
Campbell admitted: “You never stop looking for new players. Some new players will probably become available in the next few weeks anyway.
“We are not actively chasing players but there’s also scope to bring one or two in. We’ve managed to bring in some high-profile players but we need to give them time to settle into the team.”
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