Snow joke as winter bites and juniors face another addition to fixture backlog

Cumbernauld United players have some fun as they train in the snow .... but a series of call-offs is no laughing matter.

Both Cumbernauld’s match away to Ayrshire side Ardrossan Winton Rovers and Kilsyth’s match away to North Lanarkshire rivals Bellshill Athletic bit the rather icy dust.

The call-offs once again put on hold the sides’ efforts to get back on the winning track and arrest their slides down the league table from being involved in the promotion race to mid-table.

After winning five of their first six matches, Kilsyth have lost momentum having played just three league games since winning 2-0 at Yoker, losing them all.

It’s a similar story for Cumbernauld United who, after heavy reverses in their opening two games, bounced back to win four out of their next five.

But since winning 4-1 at Kilsyth on October 31 United have only played two more league matches, losing at Kilwinning and Bellshill.

This week’s scheduled fixtures see Kilsyth due to travel to Blantyre Vics while Cumbernauld are due to head down the coast to take on league leaders Largs Thistle.

Largs’s artificial pitch means that, barring more snow, the game should go ahead - but even if it does United boss John Queen believes the time is right for juniors to switch to summer football.

He said: “On Saturday we managed a training session of sorts - once the players had finished their snowball fight - but there’s not much more than you can do.

“We go through the same thing every year and I don’t know why we don’t play in the summer. I know we don’t always get the best summers in Scotland but they’re better than the winters.

“At least the Largs pitch is one of the best in the country so should be alright for Saturday.

“They’re having a good season and we know it’s going to be a difficult game, but they played on Saturday and lost to Maybole who are rock bottom of the league so no-one is unbeatable.

“We’ll go there and try to be positive, although to be honest we at Cumbernauld don’t play any other way.

“I don’t want to set my team up with five at the back and try and hold out. It’s not my style, I’d rather got forward and try to win the game.”

The Cumbernauld supporters’ bus leave Guy’s Meadow 11.40am and the town centre at 11.45.

Kilsyth boss Keith Hogg admitted he’ll have one eye on the weather but says his side will prepare properly and be ready if the Blantyre game does go ahead.

He said: “They have undergone a change of management so that will freshen up things from their point of view,

“They got off to a bit of a slow start and then picked up before falling away again. But they have got some quality players so it will be a difficult game.

“We’ve managed to get a couple of friendlies in so the boys have been able to boost their match fitness and they’ve been buzzing.

“We just want to get back out there and get three points to get us back on the winning track and climbing the table.”