CHRIS ACHING TO GET BACK INTO IT

NEW KILWINNING RANGERS MANAGER CHRIS AITKEN

It may sound more than a tad rhetorical but one has to ask how much do Kilwinning Rangers want to retain their Premier Division status ?

How much do the players want to show they are better than their current position down in the relegation basement after picking up a paltry 14 points haul from 14 league matches to date?

And crucially, how much do they want to get newly installed team boss Chris Aitken’s reign off to the best possible start with a win away to Pollok tomorrow?

“Of course, Most definitely and Beyond any doubt ” , I can well imagine it being said , along with an accompanying nodding of heads, in Buffs Park parts however it’s hard not to think there is a major disconnect between what is wanted and what is being done to achieve these objectives.

Kilwinning club officials may have lit a fire under the dressing room with their appointment of `Tiff `who comes on board with extensive managerial experience gained at Stranraer and Lowland League outfit East Kilbride as well as a backroom team in tow comprising of Rangers playing legend Ian Durrant and Owen Archdeacon ,son of former Celtic , Barnsley and Morton signing of the same name.

But now comes the hard bit for the 41 year old Aitken whose most pressing challenge is to instill momentum and confidence into a side that has picked up a solitary victory from the eight league matches played since their corresponding Buffs Park fixture against Pollok (in early October) ended in a 1-1 draw.

It might be seen as serving to highlight the areas most needing addressed that all of 30 goals have been conceded in those eight outings but any Aitken fix for the trip to Newlandsfield will need to be without seasoned defender and club captain Kevin Nicholl ,suspended after being red carded in last Saturday’s 3-2 defeat by league leaders Beith.

Said the new man in charge, “ We met up with the players face-to-face for the first time on Tuesday night but I had previously taken in their last three matches so they were not a totally unknown quantity.

“On what I’ve seen, performances have been decent and so unlike a team in relegation trouble particularly against Beith who were fortunate to be 2-1 ahead at the point of Kevin’s sending off which I did feel at the time was a bit on the harsh side.

“Our playing squad is not the biggest so he’ll be missed at Newlandsfield which has been a tough venue for as long as I can remember however if the rest of the guys can give their all for me then the result will look after itself.”

Tiff , a tenacious midfielder with Neilston during his playing days says he is not planning to ring the changes at the erstwhile Ayrshire giants who finished fifth top of the Premier Division standings last time out.

He revealed, “The squad have a clean slate now and will be given the opportunity to stake their claims for the jerseys starting from now but anyway we’re not in a position to freshen things up because our transfer budget is all but gone.

“If needs must then I’ll try to use some of my contacts in the game to do a bit of wheeling and dealing in terms of loans but I’m not someone who thinks strength comes in numbers so you can take it as read that any new players coming here will first and foremost have to be the right players.“

Pollok have a defensive issue of their own going into the clash as big stopper David Brownlie is rated a definite non-starter with the concussion injury picked up a fortnight ago against Beith which also precluded him from taking part in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat away to Auchinleck Talbot.

Lok head honcho Stewart Maxwell attested , “ It was a typically tight game between two evenly matched clubs which saw Talbot have the better of things first half however we came onto a game after tweaking our shape at the interval and fully deserved Gary McCann’s equalizer that looked to have earned us a point until Brian Boylan popped up with a late headed winner.”

Maxi whose own career included a playing stint down at Kilwinning thinks going up against the third from bottom of the table Ayrshiremen has the potential to be every bit as testing for his charges,

“New manager bounce is always a factor and we have to be on our guard because you can bet the Buffs players are sure to be extra motivated from wanting to impress Chris in his first game in charge.” he insisted.

“ I’ve no doubt he will be urging them to start a climb up the table but hopefully we can match their desire and ensure it doesn’t come against us.”

His gaffer’s call to arms will not go unheeded by midfield rock Del Esplin, now in his fourth season at the Southside giants and set to again lead out his team mates after assuming the captain’s armband in Brownlie’s absence against Talbot .

” I get really fed up with us playing well but coming away with nothing to show for all our efforts,” bemoaned the 31 year old.

“Teams like Auchinleck always find a way to win games and a club of our stature should be doing the same in order to put ourselves, at the very least, in contention for the big prizes.

“Look, I’m long enough in the game to know it’s easier said than done however the players we have here, myself included ,really should be doing better than our standing in the league table is showing .

He went on ,“ A good starting point would be to bounce straight back against Kilwinning and getting the balance right between result and performance is key in this respect

”Playing well would be nice but three points is more important.”

POLLOK BATTLER ESPLIN

In other top flight contests, league leaders Beith will be out to maintain their four point lead atop the standings when hosting the visit of Cumnock while nearest challengers Darvel await the visit of Glenafton in seeking to get their bread and butter season back on track following the curtain coming down on their glorious Scottish Cup campaign as a result of last Monday’s 5-1 beating at the hands of Falkirk.

Auchinleck are strongly fancied to stay on the leading pair’s shirt tails when taking to the road to face Rob Roy.one of only two sides (Darvel are the other) to have inflicted league defeats on Tommy Sloan’s men and revenge is also in the air through in Springburn where Petershill are meeting Arthurlie whose 11-1 victory when the teams met earlier this season continues to leave the Peasy faithful red-faced.

Relegation threatened Cambuslang Rangers ,boosted by the signings of Paul Fee, ex-Albion Rovers midfielder , and towering striker Kit Cummins from Beith have a third consecutive victory in their sights when going up against fourth from bottom placed Troon while Largs Thistle will be determined to get the better of a visiting Clydebank in seeking the ideal follow up to posting their highest league win of the season last weekend , a 5-0 crushing of Arthurlie.

The remaining Premier head to head sees locked on 23 points pair Hurlford United and Irvine Meadow clash at Blair Park with both sides out to recover from confidence denting runs in recent weeks .

Elsewhere, SJFA officials making the the semi-final draw for the Clydebuilt Home Improvements Scottish Junior Cup at the start of this week produced the following penultimate ties which are to be played at neutral venues (as yet unknown) and on dates yet to be confirmed.

Rutherglen Glencairn v East Craigie

Glenafton v Cumnock

Also on the comings and goings front comes word of First Division leading lights Drumchapel United putting ex-Pollok, Kilbirnie Ladeside and Kilwinning Rangers winger Alex McWaters on the open to transfer list.

WEEKEND GAMES (Kick Offs 2PM): P.D.M Buildbase Premier Division. Cambuslang Rangers v Troon, Petershill v Arthurlie, Largs Thistle v Clydebank, Rob Roy v Auchinleck Talbot, Beith v Cumnock, Pollok v Kilwinning Rangers, Darvel v Glenafton, Hurlford Utd v Irvine Meadow.

PDM Buildbase First Division. Neilston v Drumchapel Utd, Thorniewood Utd v Rossvale, Bonnyton Thistle v Cumbernauld Utd, Benburb v St Cadocs, Whitletts Vics v Rutherglen Glencairn, Kilbirnie Ladeside v Shotts Bon Accord, Johnstone Burgh v Gartcairn, St Rochs v Blantyre Vics.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Maybole v Muirkirk, Maryhill v Ardeer Thistle, Glasgow Perthshire v Kilsyth Rangers, Ashfield v Renfrew, Craigmark v Forth Wanderers,Glasgow Utd v St Anthonys, Yoker Athletic v Wishaw, Greenock v Glasgow University. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Irvine Vics v Bellshill Athletic, Kello Rovers v Port Glasgow, East Kilbride Thistle v Vale of Clyde, Dalry Thistle v Girvan, Vale of Leven v Carluke Rovers, Royal Albert v Saltcoats Vics, Larkhall Thistle v Lanark Utd, Finnart v Lugar Boswell, Lesmahagow v Newmains Utd. PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. St Peters v Eglinton, Harmony Row v Kilsyth Athletic, Campbeltown Pupils v Easterhouse FA, Threave Rovers v Glenvale, West Park Utd v Thorn Athletic, BSC Glasgow v Rossvale Academy.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell