Dalbeattie Star aim to become first back-to-back South of Scotland League champs for a decade
Dalbeattie Star are aiming to become the first back-to-back South of Scotland League champs for a decade.
The Islecroft side won the title last season and would overhaul leaders Nithsdale Wanderers if they won their games in hand.
And if they do retain the title, they’d be the first club to do so since Wigtown and Bladnoch in 2015.
Gaffer Eddie Warwick said: “We can go top if we win our games in hand but they’re not going to be easy.
“The league is our bread and butter, it’s nice to play cup finals, but it’ll never be anywhere near a league title.
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“It’ll be nice to win it in succession but it’s going to be extremely difficult and we just have to do our best and keep going.
“I think we’re very strong, we’re very good on our day and a match for most teams. I don’t think we’re that far behind many teams.
“Games in hand always make a league table look messy but the fact they can get us top of the table I’ve got to be delighted after we only had one point from two games.
“We turned a corner against Creetown and haven’t really looked back.
“We’re the current champions, I can’t say we’re going to settle for top three, we have to go for the league. We’re trying to go back-to-back.
“It’s a very tough thing to do. If it was that easy people would be doing it all the time.
“We only brought in five or six new players and to keep the same crop motivated and achieve the same levels again is very difficult.
“That’s normal in football world wide, not just us.
“A couple of things have happened this year to make us more determined and we’re happy just to quietly go about our business.”
Leaders Nithsdale are five points clear of Star but Warwick’s side have three games in hand.
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Stranraer, Creetown, Newton Stewart and Lochar Thistle also go into 2025 well in the mix for the title.
Warwick said: “It’s a good, competitive league. Nearly all the teams in the top half have improved. Each team has added three or four, some have added five, good players.
“We feel as though we’ve got stronger this year. Everyone has improved their teams and squad over the summer, which is why it’s so tight and competitive.
