I HOLD MY HAND UP - TULLY

Shire skipper Craig Tully is backing his teammates to get back on track after the weekend defeat against Forfar Athletic.

Craig admits there have been defensive problems recently and accepts his own part in that, but he reckons just one break for the side will see positive strides being made.

"We haven't been defending well and I  hold my hand up as part of that. But what happened at Forfar was just a freak result, one of those things that happen in football.

"We have just got to roll the sleeves up and get on with things.

"We are a confidence team, we thrive on it and I  think when things don't go for you some players can get a bit lost and then others start trying too hard just to compensate.

"But we have a better set of players than maybe we had last season. Some players who are here you think shouldn't even be playing in this division or at this club."

And he says many of the squad would have preferred an early opportunity to put right what happend on Saturday.

"A lot of the lads wanted a game this Saturday," he said. Having to wait a week for another game means maybe you just dwell for even longer on what happened at Forfar. But the international break is just one of those things that you have to deal with."

Craig says a simple change of luck could alter the season.

"Maybe simply going ahead in a game could make all the difference rather than chasing it.

"The manager will also be trying a few things in training. We certainly need to tighten up, not just at the back, but right the way through the whole team.

"But we are confident that things will come right. There is a lot of talent here and we just have to keep on working hard to get the results."