Neilston’s second round clash away to Kilsyth Rangers was one of 10 West of Scotland Cup matches to fall victim to the weather at the weekend.

The Farmer’s Boys were set to take on fellow West Region Championship side Kilsyth on Saturday, only for Duncansfield Park to fail an early pitch inspection.

Speaking to Barrhead Sport last week, Brig co-boss Derek Carson revealed he struggled to fill their bench in their last league fixture – a 3-2 loss to Petershill.

And while Neilston chiefs were hoping to put that loss behind them with a cup win, fellow co-manager Chris Cameron insists the call-off was a blessing in disguise for his depleted squad.

He said: “We have been really struggling for bodies over the past few weeks, so that being off at the weekend really could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

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“We’ve made no secret about the fact that we’ve been down to the bare bones, so the chance to regroup, have the weekend off and get in a good training session could be invaluable going forward.”

Cameron continued: “We had a brilliant turnout for training on Saturday and had a really good session, despite the weather.

“Last week, we had Derek, a trialist and a couple of under-19 players on the bench, so another week to get more bodies back and let boys recover more should help us.

“I think we were actually quite fortunate in terms of injuries and suspensions up until maybe the start of December. That luck really has gone now.

“Every team will go through that at some point in the season, though, we have just been unlucky that ours seems to have coincided with a busy festive period.

“I think that could be us coming out the other end now. We’re raring to go for the remainder of the season.”

Neilston now face the daunting task of welcoming league leaders Darvel to Brig O’ Lea.

Cameron added: “Darvel are a top, top side, there’s no doubt about that. On the one hand, the Kilsyth match being off is good for injuries but, on the other, going into a game against the league leaders off the back of a weekend without a game isn’t ideal.

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“They’re attracting some top players from the senior level with ease and that tells you everything you need to know about their finances and the quality of their squad.

“That said, it’s a game we’re all looking forward to. It’s a good chance to test ourselves against the runaway league leaders. I think they’ll go on to win the league now.”

Cameron added: “A lot of teams in the league may treat games like this as a freebie but it’s one we’re definitely looking to take something from.

“I’ve watched them in the past, so we are well aware they’re a good side.”

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