Mark Weir exclusive: Carluke Rovers boss keen to avenge 8-0 battering against Greenock this Saturday

Carluke Rovers boss Mark Weir is hoping for a vastly different result this Saturday, when he faces opposition who thrashed Rovers 8-0 on the sides’ last meeting, a scoreline which prompted him to threaten to quit within a fortnight.
Mark Weir (left) and assistant Kenny Neill hope to exorcise the demons of an 8-0 loss this weekend (Pic by Kevin Ramage)Mark Weir (left) and assistant Kenny Neill hope to exorcise the demons of an 8-0 loss this weekend (Pic by Kevin Ramage)
Mark Weir (left) and assistant Kenny Neill hope to exorcise the demons of an 8-0 loss this weekend (Pic by Kevin Ramage)

At the time, Weir branded that Conference B John Cumming Stadium defeat on August 28 “embarrassing”, adding: “It is the worst performance I’ve ever seen from a Carluke Rovers team.

"I will give it a couple of weeks and if things don’t change I will walk. I’d rather get a season ticket at Fir Park."

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But Weir remains in charge 10 weeks later and is optimistic about Rovers’ chances this time.

"It’s a great chance to close in on the teams above us with a win,” Weir told the Carluke and Lanark Gazette.

"Obviously going by our previous result against them, the guys should be up for it.

"We will have a totally different, changed team from the one that played them last time, and hopefully come away from there with a victory.

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"I would like to think we have added motivation to get a positive result.

"We are more than capable of beating anybody on our day if they put their mind to it.”

Weir revealed that he hopes to field two trialists – a striker and a winger – against Greenock to boost an injury ravaged squad which is continuing to rely on the inclusion of kids from the under-20s side.

"I am still struggling with injuries,” he added. "So I will still be looking for the under-20s to be playing part of the game on Saturday again.

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"They’ve come in and they’ve done really well but at the same time I really need to be looking to bolster my squad.”

Meanwhile, nine-man Lesmahagow Juniors went down to a heavy 6-0 loss at Maybole Juniors in last Saturday’s Conference A encounter. But the scheduled home league games for Forth Wanderers (Conference A) and Lanark United (Conference C), against Glasgow Perthshire and Kilsyth Rangers respectively, were postponed.

League fixtures this Saturday (2pm KOs) are: Forth v Maybole; Lesmahagow v Bellshill; Wishaw v Lanark.

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