Ferguslie pin hopes on youth

LONG-SERVING Ferguslie skipper Stuart Kennedy has stressed the importance of holding on to the club's current crop of promising youngsters if they are to emerge from two years in the doldrums.

The Paisley outfit – who play host to SMRH today – plunged from the top flight to the third grade in one alarming slide, but they at last got their campaign up and running with a win against Weirs last weekend. While a Scottish Cup defeat to Greenock followed, Ferguslie did at least go down fighting.

Meikleriggs stalwart Kennedy knows that climbing back up the Scottish game's pecking order will require time and said: "I don't think we can read much into the victory over Weirs because they did not have a very strong team that day.

"There were some pleasing performances against Greenock in the cup, but we still have a long way to go before we are back where we want to be.

"Our future hinges to a great degree on being able to keep our best young players at the club and that won't be easy.

"I expect our revival to be a long process because we have not been pro-active enough in recruiting lads at the lower age-groups.

"But we have now addressed that problem and I hope things will be brighter in three or four years' time."

Two of the teams fancied to be vying for honours at the end of the season, APD Dumfries and RH Corstorphine, should make the most of home advantage this afternoon.

Dumfries take on inconsistent Freuchie, while – if Kennedy's assessment of their opponents' lack of strength is correct – Corstorphine should have little trouble disposing of Weirs.

Ferguslie's neighbours Kelburne are desperate to get their season up and running and they will fancy their chances against Imans Edinburgh at Whitehaugh.

Finally, West Lothian ought to get the better of Renfrew at Linlithgow.