The Match:
Kilwinning Rangers vs Johnstone Burgh. WOSFL Premier Division. Buffs Park, Pennyburn Rd, Kilwinning KA13 6LF. Kick off 14:00.
Form:
Burgh come into the match after, what must be, one of the shortest pre-seasons in the modern game, with our first and last pre-season matches coming just one week apart. We started with a 6-0 victory over Longside, before beating WOSFL newcomers East Kilbride YM 3-0, and losing 3-0 on Saturday against our South Challenge Cup opponents Bo'ness United.
Previous Meeting:
We last met in the 2023/24 season, with both matches being won 3-2 by the away side. Having beaten The Buffs 3-2 at Buffs Park, they beat us by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture three months later in, what would be, Jamie McKim's final game in charge of The Burgh. The visitors that day took an early lead, before Stuart McCann equalised just before half time. The Buffs re-took the lead on 69 minutes before Jason Naismith saw red for elbowing an opponent. The ten men of Johnstone Burgh managed to grab an equaliser with three minutes to play through Ross McKenzie. As Burgh searched for a winner, they left themselves short at the back and Kilwinning took advantage in added time as a rapid counter attack saw them snatch a winner and leave Keanie Park with the three points.
The Opposition:
Kilwinning will be quite pleased with their pre-season, with the pick of results being a 6-3 victory over Largs Thistle, and a 7-0 victory against Gretna 2008. Their sole defeat came at the hands of Muirkirk Juniors, who condemned The Buffs to a 5-3 loss.
Travel:
Supporters Bus: We are running a supporters bus for this fixture. The bus leaves Keanie Park at 12.45 and is priced at £10 for ages 16 and over, £6 for ages 12-15 and free for under 12s. Contact Vic on 07826 850856 to book your seat.
By Car: Buffs Park is approximately 30 minutes drive from Johnstone. Whilst there is parking available at Buffs Park, spaces will be extremely limited due to an event being held by Kilwinning Sports Club, so we advise using our supporters bus or public transport where possible.
Public Transport: Trains run direct from Johnstone to Kilwinning, and Kilwinning Station is little more than a 10 minute walk to the ground.
Officials:
Ross Menzies will be the referee on Saturday. Ross oversaw two Burgh games last season - our 3-1 win over Dundee North End, and our 4-0 victory away at Glenafton Athletic. He'll be assisted by Graeme Murphy and Emmett McLaughlin.
Weather:
No concerns regarding the wether this week. At the time of writing, the forecast is 15°C and cloudy.
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