CLYDEBANK manager Budgie McGhie has admitted he couldn’t have dreamt his new look side would have such a strong start to the season.

The Bankies occupy pole position in the Super League First Division, Saturday’s 2-0 win away to Shotts Bon Accord made it four wins out of four in the league.

McGhie’s men have scored 13 goals and only conceded two in those games while they also impressed in the Sectional League Cup group stages, their only blip so far came in a 2-0 defeat in the quarter-finals of that competition to Premier League side Kirkintilloch Rob Roy.

After a big turnaround in players following last season’s relegation, McGhie conceded he has been surprised at how quickly his young side have gelled.

He said: “I probably didn’t think we would start as well as we have done. I didn’t think too much about it because it was so hectic getting so many new faces in. I think they have gelled really quickly.

“On Saturday again it was a really young team, I think when Andy Paterson went off injured the average age was about 21.

“That is really pleasing, I know a lot of people think you might not get success in the juniors with young guys. And we’ve not got success yet but they are performing really well.” Despite the strong start to the season, McGhie has demanded continued focus from his players. In Saturday’s victory at Hannah Park, Clydebank missed a host of chances to make the win more convincing, which was McGhie’s only concern.

He said: “It was a good win on Saturday. I thought we created an awful lot of chances and we could be a lot more clinical, we could’ve been out of sight long before we were.” “It was a good performance though and a good win at a place we haven’t done well at in the past.

“Shotts are a bit like ourselves, they have come down from the top league where it is difficult to compete with a lot of the clubs with bigger budgets. But I’m sure they’ll be climbing back up the league soon.” Clydebank’s ranks will be boosted in the coming weeks by the imminent return of captain Phil Barclay and Graham Mort from injury. With a free weekend coming up, followed by a derby clash with Yoker, they will be pushing for a starting spot.

However McGhie has named the same team three weeks in a row and players who find themselves on the bench may have to be patient as the Bankies boss is reluctant to change a winning team.

He said: “We’re starting to get players back, Phil Barclay and Graham Mort are both fit, Ryan Holms was at a wedding last week he came back and the three of them never got on against Shotts. Phil got a strip but Graham and Ryan didn’t. So it is a strong squad when you have experienced guys like that who can’t get a jersey.

“I just thought that from the win over Bellshill no one really deserved to be dropped.” While much of the attention has gone to Clydebank’s front players for their early season form with plenty of goals and chances created, McGhie was quick to praise Josh Lumsden who made some important saves at key times in the match at Shotts.

Lumsden has made the number one jersey his own since moving from Dumbarton in the summer, however McGhie warned the 19-year-old will have to keep impressing if he is to continue to keep Robert Hamilton out of the team.

He said: “Josh has just turned 19, he is only young but he has been excellent. We rate Robert Hamilton highly but Josh just hasn’t done a great deal wrong. Against Shotts we were on top for most of the game but when we had to call on Josh he did everything that could be asked of him.

“It’s not just his saves, his kicking is really good and he is really quick off his line. I’m sure big Robert will be pushing him hard, the good thing about that is Josh knows he can’t get complacent.”