Stirling Albion skipper Paul McLean already has one eye on next term’s assault on League One after finally getting his hands on the League Two championship trophy.
McLean hoisted aloft the prized cup, alongside Ross McGeachie, after a superb 2-1 win over Forfar Athletic in the Binos’ final home match of the campaign on Saturday.
The captain got the party started when he raised the trophy, following a long season full of ups and downs.
Youngster Josh Cooper got the rowdy 1,598 supporters on their way when he opened the scoring.
Forfar equalised through Stefan McCluskey before Albion sealed the win from the penalty spot through Greig Spence.
McLean had the honour of lifting the trophy after the full time whistle and a mini pitch invasion from the home support.
“You could see what it means to all the fans,” he said.
“It’s brilliant. The club’s been in this division for too long. We know the size of the club, they should be higher.
“At the start of the season not many gave us a hope, but we knew in the changing room that we had half a chance. We’ve got a good squad and the gaffer came in last season with a good attitude and the boys have been brilliant. It means everything. It gives me another crack at League One next season.”
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Mc Lean says his side flew under the radar in the early part of the season and that took all the pressure off the squad.
He added: “I think a lot of teams wrote us off. We didn’t have a good season last year and that was down to a few different factors. I missed the whole of last season through injury, but I knew I could contribute to the team and when you’ve got a striker like Dale Carrick, you’re always going to have a chance.
“We had a slow start but that’s 19 games undefeated now and that’s not a fluke.”
Following a difficult season last term, the 33-year-old has been a rock at the heart of the Binos’ defence and he opened up on accepting a pay cut stay at Forthbank this season.
“When the manager came in last season I had a bad injury and I spoke to him about a new deal. Maybe the fans don’t know it, but I took a cut to stay here because I knew I could prove to the manager that, even at 33, I can still contribute to the team and I think it has shown”, he said.
“The whole team works together. We’re a great unit.”
He went on to urge his younger team mates to soak in the celebrations, adding: “Football’s full of ups and downs and you really need to live in these moments, you have to take them in because they don’t come around all the time and I’m lucky myself to have been promoted before. I’ve said to the boys, don’t take this for granted. There’s no guarantee it’s going to happen again.
“Next year we know it’s going to be tough. Stepping up to the higher division, there will be more full time teams, but I think again teams will probably write us off and think we don’t have much of a chance but the gaffer has recruited very well and hopefully it’s the same again next year and hopefully we’ll cause another few shocks.”
