WEE COUNTY lad Kris Kelly signed his first professional football contract for Sauchie Juniors on Thursday night.

The Beechwood Park side are keeping one eye on the future as the recruit impresses gaffer Fraser Duncan.

"Kris has signed his first professional contract which is brilliant for him," Duncan said. "He's came in and worked really, really hard. He's been superb and he thoroughly deserves to get his contract.

"[Unfortunately] he's picked up a wee niggle which meant he missed out on Saturday there, but I'm hoping he'll be back in training this week and be good to go.

"It's a pleasure to get him in but he'll still play some games with the 20s, I think that's important for his development that he still gets moved about the teams.

"He's now part of our squad and he's got a contract and he's worked hard for that. He totally deserves it, his attitude's spot on, his work rate's spot on and he just needs to keep that going.

"It's good to have a local boy who's going to work hard and knows what Sauchie means to the community."

Meanwhile, Duncan's side picked up four points in the last two games – a return that the manager hopes they will be able to build on.

In a five-goal thriller last week, Sauchie rallied from two goals down to win 3-2 against Newtongrange.

However, the tables were turned as the Wee County club blew a two-goal lead against Dundonald to draw 2-2.

Duncan said: "I think on Tuesday night against Newtongrange our first half performance was probably our worst of the season so far. I told that to the boys at half-time, to be 2-0 down and out the game, it was the worst we've played.

"Then, second half we've came out, we've done excellent, we've passed the ball about, we changed the gameplan and changed the shape and it seemed to work for us.

"To go and score three goals in the second half and win the game was excellent, we thoroughly deserved it. To get the three points on the board was the most important thing. We need to get as many points as we can on the board."

Unfortunately for Sauchie, Dundonald flipped the script on them just days later.

Duncan continued: "To go to Dundonald, one of the hardest venues to go to, and be in total control of the game, our players were superb.

"To be 2-0 up, the sending off made it hard for us and then to go and lose two goals is a nightmare. We threw it away, to work so hard for 70-odd minutes and then throw it away is a nightmare.

"Disappointing but I would have taken a point on the Friday night. We should have had the three points, we were the much better side.

"It's disappointing because we were so close."

After a shaky start to the season, Duncan has been more impressed with the last two performances and wants that to continue in a massive game this weekend against Hill of Beath who are two points above Duncan's men.

He said: "We've got loads and loads of ability in the team, the players' performances have been superb. The second half against Newtongrange and the whole game against Dundonald we were just superb.

"I've said [to the boys] we've probably played the top six teams in the league and we've just been edged out in some of the games. I don't think there's any team that's came and gave us a doing.

"It's a funny old league and I think we've got loads to fight for.

"We just need to keep on this track we're on and push on to this game on Saturday which is a massive one at Beechwood."