Niyah Joseph shines for five-star Shire in big win over Dalbeattie Star

The ex-Stenhousemuir forward recently joined the Scottish Lowland Football League outfit on a short-term deal after departing the Ochilview club, and Clark is pleased to be working with a player he knows well from his time as assistant manager at Queen of the South.

"He certainly played well,” Clark said of his display. “If you are a striker then you want to score goals and that is what you are judged on, sticking the ball into the back of the net.

“Niyah did that on Saturday four times so you have to be delighted with that against any opponent. His finishing in front of goal was really cool and composed.

"He is of course a player I know well and it was a smart move for him to come somewhere like here at the Shire – he can play games and be in a good environment under a manager he knows well.”

That victory over the weekend at the Falkirk Stadium keeps Shire ticking over, sitting in 15th place in the table, well clear of any relegation trouble.

On the match, Clark added: “Dalbeattie aren’t in a healthy position at the moment in the league and we got the job done on the day. That about sums it up. It is one of those games that brings a different challenge because you are the team that is expected to turn up and win handsomely.

“It changes how you prepare for the game and we went into it as favourites which of course hasn’t been the case for most matches this season for the team. The guys are learning how to cope with that pressure. Overall, we deserved to win the match and we got the three points.”

Despite being marooned in the lower half of the table, the boss is sure of his players having high levels of motivation to finish off the campaign strongly.

"Footballers always have motivation,” he said. “The guys want to show how good they are and that is inventive enough to give 100 per cent each week. We still have a cup to play in it is now a tight group, which helps breed that competitiveness.”

Clark also confirmed that Dean Watson’s season is over after undergoing surgery as he begins his rehab process.”