Wishaw, for whom a Michael Collinder goal earned a 1-1 draw in their Central Sectional Cup contest at home to Gartcairn last night, are reputed to have made an audacious but unsuccessful attempt to appoint Martin Lauchlan as their new team manager prior to the game.

The former Partick Thistle and St Johnstone midfielder steered Rossvale to the Central Second Division title in his only previous stint in Junior management but has been out of the limelight since an even more successful term in charge of Lowland League outfit East Kilbride was unceremoniously cut short at the end of last season.

Locky and long-standing No 2 Carlo Girasoli’s 14 months at the EK helm brought a haul of four trophies including of the Lowland League title and they only missed out on promotion to the SPFL by virtue of a penalty shoot-out defeat to Cowdenbeath in the play-off final.

He and Girasoli are currently embroiled in a legal battle with their erstwhile EK employers over unpaid bonuses (thought to be in the region of £20K), however that hasn’t prevented their names being linked during the summer months with the managerial positions at both Clyde and Airdrie.

The management duo were spotted on the Fullarton Park terracings last weekend, taking in Vale of Clyde’s 2-0 defeat of Rutherglen Glencairn, but their future intentions clearly do not centre around Central First Division outfit Wishaw, whose club officials are rumoured to have turned their attentions to a shortlist that includes ex-St Anthonys gaffer James 
McKenna, Forth Wanderers boss Jamie McKenzie, John Fallon – formerly of Shettleston – and outsider K.B.Grant from crack amateur outfit Mill United.

Wishaw’s 1-1 stalemate enabled Carluke Rovers to join Shotts Bon Accord atop the Section 2 standings after the Rovers came from behind to beat Newmains United 4-2 with goals from Reece Lowdon(2) , James Martin and Greg Kane.

It was a night for comebacks, with Rutherglen Glencairn taking the honours at home to Blantyre Vics, whose 2-0 half time lead through Alan Murdoch and Sam McKenzie counters was blown away by a stirring second-half showing that brought goals by Graham Boyd, Allesandro Savarese and Jay McKay (pen).

Pollok newcomers Adam Forde and Nikky Little got off the scoring mark in a 3-0 victory over Neilston with Gary McCann the other 
marksman to set up a possible Section 5 decider on Saturday at home to arch rivals Arthurlie for whom Marc McKenzie (2) and Alex Wyper were on target in a 3-1 defeat of Benburb.

Petershill were left ruing an Ian Gold penalty kick miss in a 1-1 draw away to Bellshill athletic whose young prospect Ritchie Kane cancelled out Ryan Haxton’s opener for the Peasy  who find themselves lagging two points behind next up opponents St Rochs whose striking pair Darren McGuire and Jordan Logan netted the goals in a 4-0 victory over Shettleston with the former bagging a hat-trick.

Chris Faulds, Dougie Ryan, Scott Gillespie and Scott Hadden helped East Kilbride Thistle to a first Sectional Cup victory against Vale of Clyde and Scott Forrester (2), Logan McIntyre and Mark Thompson with a wonder free kick effort did the damage as Glasgow Perthshire ran out 4-1 winners over Yoker Athletic.