Yahoo News Kilwinning Rangers boss preaches patience after friendly defeat in first game
Kilwinning Rangers boss Kevin Kelly insisted ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ after suffering defeat to Auchinleck Talbot in his first match in charge.
Talbot visited Buffs Park and picked up a deserved 3-1 victory in Kelly’s first pre-season friendly since taking over at the West of Scotland First Division club last month.
And he says it’s too early to put any set goals on the campaign ahead, with their league opener taking place on July 27 when they host newly promoted Ardrossan Winton Rovers.
Speaking to the Herald following their loss to Auchinleck, Kelly said: “As first games at this level ,they don’t really com any tougher. Auchinleck are a very, very good side and Tommy (Sloan) put his sides together really well and gets them playing good football.
“But we’ve got a developing side. We came in three weeks ago and they boys have all worked hard and the fitness levels are good.
“The ethos and what we’re trying to instill in their game is there but some of it still needs work - that’s what you’d expect at this stage of pre-season.
“We’re happy with the players and what they’ve given us. This was our first proper game together so you can’t go in expecting miracles. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
“There were plenty of positives to take from it and plenty we can build on and learn from.”
It’s been a hectic spell since the former Caledonian Locomotives boss took charge at Buffs Park but Kelly says it was never his belief that he needed to come in and tear things down.
He said: “There’s been lots of energy and time put into things so far and that’s not going to stop.
“Everybody knows that we need to add to the squad depth and we’ll look to do that. There’s great players in that changing room who were already at the club, I’ve never hid that.
“It’s about adding to that because we never came into the club thinking we had to re-build anything, that was never the plan.
“There’s a good foundation here and we’ve brought in four players to add to that and hopefully there will be more as we get closer to the season.
“We want players to be uncomfortable and having to fight for their place in the team because I think that brings the best and challenges people rather than being comfortable.”
As for their aims this term, the new boss says he’ll sit down with the committee before the campaign gets underway to discuss set goals.
He commented: “We’ll sit down with the chairman at some point before the season and chat about what the aims and goals are for the year. Obviously we want to win as many games as possible and finish as high up the league as possible - you always want to shoot for the stars.
“But there’s realistic targets as well. There’s good players at the club who can get us to where we want and need to be, we just need to add to it.”
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