FRASER DUNCAN has urged his Sauchie stars to keep up their recent revival and pull off a great escape.

A torrid start to the season saw the Wee County side slump to the foot of the Premier Division table.

But since Duncan's return to the club, their fortunes have changed, and they now have just one defeat in their last four games.

And as they prepare for their next two games – home ties against Dunbar and Blackburn – the manager challenged his players to make Beechwood Park a fortress.

Duncan told Advertiser Sport: "Since me and Davie came in we have had a good start and now it's a case of keeping that going.

"We are working to pinpoint how we can pick points up and battle hard in every game because you need to do that at this level.

"From where we were to where we are now those points have been vital because we would have been well adrift at the bottom.

"If I'm honest it would probably have been all over by Christmas so to pick up seven from nine was something we really needed to do.

"It was important to keep ourselves in touch with the teams round about us.

"It's maybe not a bad thing that we have had a week off because it has given us a chance to prepare for some really important games we have coming up.

"The next two games are vital. Both games are at Beechwood and we are looking at it and thinking we want to take six points.

"Home form is vital and we need to make sure we are winning the two games."

Duncan says he is enjoying his return to the Sauchie dugout after a little over a season away – even if it was an unexpected comeback.

But he admitted the joy of reclaiming his place at Beechwood Park will mean nothing if his side do not beat the drop come the end of the campaign.

"It's been difficult," he added. "I wasn't expecting to come back in, but it's been a necessity for me to come and help wherever I can.

"We have got a very big squad and we need to trim it back. Lewis Small and Jamie Munro have already left and we have had to renegotiate a couple of contracts.

"I am still looking at players we could bring in because there needs to be two or three changes, but I don't want to make too many. We will just see how it goes.

"Things as they are just now are a lot better than we expected them to be. There is still a lot of work to be done and we still have a massive mountain to climb but we need to make sure we do it.

"Sauchie is a club close to my heart and getting back in has been good.

"I am really enjoying being back and taking training and things like that.

"But it will not be good if we end up getting relegated so we need to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure that doesn't happen.

"We need to push to make sure we stay up and after that, we can rebuild for next year."