'He's been playing through pain barrier': Glenrothes FC co-boss John Martin hails hat-trick hero Stuart Cargill after Glens climb above drop zone with win

The victory in Perthshire – which saw Cargill’s treble added to by an own goal before Kinnoull pulled one back with a long range shot – has lifted the Fife outfit out of the drop zone for the first time in several weeks, as they now sit fourth bottom on 15 points from 18 matches.

“Cargy’s been a great signing for us,” Glens co-boss John Martin told the Glenrothes Gazette. “We got him from Dundonald Bluebell (on a free transfer two years ago).

"He’s had a few injuries back and forth that he’s played through. His goals had dried up a wee bit earlier in the season, probably due to him playing through the pain barrier.

"It’s good that he scored the three goals just to give him a bit of a boost going into the next game.”

On Glens now being above the drop zone, Martin added: "The boys were buzzing after the game on Saturday because it’s been a while since we got a win – it was at the end of last year – so it was really good to get those three points.

“I’d like us to be judged on the turn of the year because we’ve been getting most of our players back and our key players back.

"That's three draws and a win in 2024 so it’s good to be unbeaten since the turn of the year. I still believe we don’t belong in the relegation zone so it’s good to come out of it.

"The games in hand we have over some other teams will definitely help but I’m a good believer as well in that you’re always better having the points on board rather than chasing them.”

This Saturday sees Glenrothes visit tenth-placed Penicuik Athletic in the league for a 2.30pm kick-off, with Martin and his fellow co-manager Kev Smith’s team having thumped the same opposition 6-0 in this season’s earlier Premier Division game at Warout Stadium on August 5.

"We won’t go there with any complacency,” Martin said. “Penicuik will be a tough team to go and play against.

"They are kind of getting pulled into the relegation zone as well so they’ll be up for it and looking to get the three points against us. So we’ll not take that game lightly.

"We’ve been scoring a lot of goals but we’ve also been conceding quite a few as well.

"In the recent games we drew we were losing quite a lot of easy goals so last Saturday was good for the defence not to concede many.

"We lost one goal last Saturday but that one was a well hit shot from distance which sometimes you just have to applaud.”