Duncan Sinclair takes over as Lanark United manager

Sep 3 2009 by Billy Hillan, Hamilton Advertiser

LANARK UNITED this week appointed former Shotts Bon Accord and Kilsyth Rangers team boss Duncan Sinclair as their new manager.

Match secretary Tam Anderson said: "Duncan has plenty of top-level experience as player and manager.

“Stevie Pillans, who did so well during the interim period, will be staying on as club coach."

Sinclair played for Shotts, Lanark, Cumnock and Maybole.

He was capped by Junior Scotland and played in a Scottish Cup Final.

As a manager, he led Shotts to the final of the Sectional League Cup last season.

Sinclair met his new squad at training on Monday night and his first competitive hurdle will be to lead his new charges out against Pollok in Glasgow on Saturday.

It's an ironic role reversal in the merry-go-round of managers - Tony McInally, who quit Lanark in June, is now at Shotts and Sinclair who was sacked by Shotts is now at Lanark!

United have released midfielder Alastair McMillan and striker Martin Harty who were signed by John McVeigh during his four-week stint in charge.

The Lanark party trooped back from Auchinleck on Saturday sickened at losing an injury time winner - but encouraged by their spirited team performance.

Tam Anderson said: "It was our best performance of the season, without a doubt, Coach Stevie Pillans did very well to get a great performance out of them - but we felt we had been absolutely robbed.

“At 1-1, we had what I thought was a stonewall penalty when Mark Haddow was caught on the ankle just as he was about to shoot.

"After that, Talbot, with a strong wind at their backs, dominated but we were still competing right up till that injury time blow. We were very heartened by the performance."

Chris Cairney, a close-season capture from Dunipace, fired in a tremendous 25-yard drive to give Lanark a 10th-minute lead.

And they held on to that advantage until half-time after goalkeeper Alan Creer, making his debut, saved a penalty.

Talbot drew level on the hour-mark with a wind-assisted 30-yard drive that Creer got a hand to but couldn't stop.

Then former Bellshill striker John Boyle notched the injury-time blow to leave Lanark rooted pointless on the bottom spot after three games.

Bellshill, with new signings David Taylor from Hamilton Accies and Fraser Craig from Airdrie, in their ranks went down 2-0 at Petershill.