Young striker Joe Bevan hopes fans will see plenty of goals and energy from him as he bids to fire Albion Rovers out of relegation trouble in League Two.
The 18-year-old made a big step up from the East of Scotland League earlier this month when he signed an 18-month deal with Brian Reid’s men from Camelon Juniors.
And he has proved to be a bit of a lucky charm so far after helping the side record back-to-back 4-0 wins in his first two outings, which came away to Bonnyrigg Rose on January 7 and Stranraer on January 14.
On top of that, he bagged his first senior goal in the win over Stranraer.
Those results have helped the Wee Rovers climb off the foot of the table and move three points clear of rock-bottom Rose.
Bevan beamed: “It has been great so far. Two wins and a goal is the best start possible for me, really.
“I wanted to come here and help the team, get on the scoresheet as quickly as possible and win games so it’s great to do that and get two 4-0 wins.
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“It has been good and easy to settle in. All the boys and the people around the club have been very supportive and welcoming.
“The step up has been challenging. It is three levels up from where I have been playing but I do feel like I belong at this level right now.
“I played with Camelon but I also played for a team on a Sunday called Afroscots United and the Rovers reserve manager Graeme Liveston came to watch a few of our games.
“He felt I had some potential so I just need to keep working hard and pushing to improve.”
And asked what he feels he brings to the table, the Cumbernauld resident said: “Pace is definitely one of my main attributes.
“At Camelon I played all across the front line but here it is more as a striker, being in and around the box trying to get goals.
“But also it’s about being a target man, holding the ball up well and linking play and things like that.
“My directness and being able to bring others into play are probably some of my other attributes as well.
“But the main reason I’ve been brought in is to score goals and hopefully I can do that for the team and give them a better chance of winning more games.”
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Rovers had been struggling for results before Bevan’s arrival, however the Cliftonhill faithful will tell you performances didn’t always merit the streak of four straight defeats they endured prior to their first game of the year at Bonnyrigg.
And the former St Maurice’s High School pupil concurs with that, having watched Rovers in action before he was unveiled on January 3.
He said: “I’ve noticed already we have a good squad here. Most of the boys are technically very good on the ball.
“I watched a few games before I first played and the team always looked very good, competing well.
“I watched them against Dumbarton [on Hogmanay in a 1-0 defeat], who were at the top of the league at that point, and the result definitely didn’t reflect how they played or what they are capable of from the other games I have watched. Hopefully now we can go and win more games.”
Next up for Rovers is a trip to Forfar this weekend following a week off due to the Scottish Cup fourth round.
It is a big game that could see Rovers climb as high as fifth with a victory, depending on results elsewhere, in what is a very tight pack.
“I’ve checked the league table a few times and it’s all really close,” said Bevan.
“From fourth to 10th there’s only like six or seven points so every point you pick up is a real boost and a win can really take you up the table.
“It was a 1-0 loss the last time we played Forfar so we know it will be a tough game.
“It’s a big game for both teams but we just need to keep doing what we have been doing and going into it with two 4-0 wins.
“We would like to go and replicate that again.”
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