YOKER Athletic manager Steven Reilly admits he feared his side were doomed for relegation before they mounted their great escape.

From February, Yoker endured a torrid run which saw them win just once in 13 games in the Super League First Division. They went into their final three league games needing maximum points and to make up a five goal goal deficit to Greenock.

With their backs against the wall the Whe-Ho pulled out all the stops in a double header with Maybole and the final game against Ardrossan Winton Rovers.

Yoker won 4-0 at Maybole before a an incredible 6-4 win in the return at Holm Park, Reilly's side were 2-0 down before drawing level. But they were once again staring at relegation after falling 4-2 behind. They got level again before two goals in the final five minutes saved them from the drop.

They finished the job with a 5-1 rout of Ardrossan.

Reilly was delighted with his team’s effort, although he conceded he thought all hope was lost.

He said: “I’m really chuffed for the lads. To win the last three games was always going to be difficult, we hadn’t won three in a row all season.

“It was a big relief. There was a couple of occasions where we thought we had slipped up on too many occasions to stay in the league. But we kept our spirits up and gave ourselves a chance.

“We had some important players coming back into the squad as well who made a difference.

“After the Bellshill game, which I missed and where we lost 2-1, I thought at that point we had let it slip and it was majorly uphill from there.

“But we kept our heads up and it was a great turnaround in the end, the boys played really well in the last four games.”

It was Reilly’s first season in charge at Holm Park and he has committed to another year in the hotseat, something he wanted to do regardless of Yoker’s league status.

He said: “I’ll stay at the club next season. I spoke with the committee before the last couple of games.

"With the situation of maybe being relegated I had to find out where my future lay.

“I didn’t want to leave I was happy to try and rebuild the squad if we dropped down. It was their decision if they wanted to let me go but they want to me to stay on, now we just have to build on the nucleus we have here.

“We need to add three or four experienced players to what we have and we should do well next season.”