Duncan Sinclair reckons Saturday’s postponement could be prove to be a blessing in disguise for Arthurlie after their West Region Championship match against Renfrew fell victim to the big freeze.
Set to welcome Frew in an attempt to replay a match that had to be cut short due to a flooded pitch back in August, plunging temperatures over the weekend left the Dunterlie pitch unplayable.
And while Sinclair was frustrated that Lie didn’t have the chance to build on their recent run of four wins on the bounce, he revealed that, had the Frew game been given the go-ahead, he would have been left with a depleted squad.
Tam McGaughey, Arthurlie’s key man in their revival, was floored with the flu, while both David Reid and Josh Payne were set to miss out due to work commitments.
READ MORE: Duncan Sinclair 'over the moon' as Arthurlie hit Irvine Vics for seven
Sinclair said: “We knew it would be off when you see the forecast from Thursday onwards but it was still frustrating not to get the chance to build on our excellent run of form over the last few weeks.
“It’s typical that the postponements come when you’re playing well and winning, not when you’re in the middle of a losing streak.
“With that said, the game being off might have actually benefitted us. Tam definitely wouldn’t have made it with the flu and both David Reid and Josh Payne were working, so it might have been a blessing in disguise for us, to be honest.
“We would, of course, liked to have had a full team and got the game on, especially with it already being postponed at the start of the season, but I can’t complain as the timing seems to have actually worked out well for us, with a few important names set to miss it.
“Tam would, of course, have been a big miss for us with the form he’s shown lately, as would Div and Josh.”
With Dunterlie failing an early pitch inspection, Sinclair and his backroom staff acted quickly to arrange a training session at Cowan Park, rather than give the players an afternoon off.
“We were able to get an hour or two sorted down the Cowan, so we didn’t give the boys the afternoon off,” Sinclair said. “We have been playing really well recently, so it was important not to let that potentially slide with a weekend off. We got plenty of work done to keep ourselves ticking over.
READ MORE: Arthurlie continue mini revival with battlin Kilsyth win
“That kind of mentality will serve us well and it also lets all the boys continue to bond and work together. It was really worthwhile and made sure the weekend wasn’t a total write-off. The boys all put in some effort, which was good to see, even though it wasn’t a match day.”
Subject to a thaw, Lie are set to welcome Cambuslang Rangers to Dunterlie this weekend, with Sinclair certain that his side will face a tough test in order to maintain their run of form.
He added: “We were playing well and in the middle of a good run when we beat them 2-0 earlier in the season. It’s the same scenario this weekend, so hopefully we can pick up another three points.
“It was a tough game down there, despite the scoreline. It was actually a very tight and nervy 2-0, so we know to expect another hard one.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article