Kelburne and Weirs to lock horns in crucial basement battle

KELBURNE stalwart Scott Hamilton has labelled today's basement showdown with Weirs as one of the most important for the club in living memory.

A home success at Whitehaugh will give the Paisley brigade a fighting chance of leapfrogging their opponents into second-bottom place. Defeat, however, would consign them to the nerve-jangling experience of taking part in the play-offs.

Hamilton declared: "As big games go, this is right up there because so much depends on it for both teams.

"We have been involved in the play-offs in recent seasons for positive reasons as we were on the way up. It will be a much more tense situation for us if we are battling for survival in the SNCL. Having said that, if we end up last in the league it will at least give us another bite of the cherry."

Hamilton added: "In the current weather conditions, the toss will be crucial – however the bottom line is that we need to start getting runs on the board. Pro David Harper has been quiet over the past few weeks and this would be the perfect time for him to start firing again."

Having wrapped up the title last weekend, Dumfries head for Boghall to square up to West Lothian, who have fallen away after being realistic challengers for a chunk of the campaign.

Ferguslie can bolster their bid to finish second by getting the better of RH Corstorphine at Meikleriggs – especially if a win coincided with

a Freuchie triumph over Renfrew at Muir Road.

Finally, the SMRH v Imans Edinburgh clash at Inverleith is a close one to call.