Stevie Rankin must have felt like pulling the sheets over his head when he awoke this morning in the wake of being sacked by Irvine Meadow.

It says everything about him that he didn’t try to dress up his shock dismissal despite the official line from the Ayrshire club stating that club officials had decided to “release their management team".

This play on words cut no ice with down-to-earth gaffer Stevie who in typical straightalking fashion insisted the reasons he and No.2 Murdie McKinnon were shown the door had not entirely been down to results.

He said: “There’s no getting away from the fact that four league wins in a calendar year is simply not good enough for a club of Irvine Meadow’s stature.

“For whatever reason the players have not done it for us out on the pitch and I cannot fault the club for being critical of performances in this respect.

"However, both Murdie and I still felt confident we could turn things around this season if given the chance .

“We thought the opportunity would be afforded us particularly in view of Irvine Meadow’s continuing interest in the two main cup competitions.

"But deep down I sensed something was afoot when leading club officials travelled up to Glasgow and asked for a meeting with us on Tuesday night.

“It’s true to say disappointment was expressed in results to date, but rather more heated discussions and disagreements centred around other pertinent club issues.

"And it would be inappropriate for me to broach them. However suffice to say I’ve no doubt all is about to be revealed.”

Rankine refused to divulge any further details however his far from disguised hint could be related to club officials meeting up with Medda’s irate when laying staff last night where contractual matters were discussed according to one player who asked to remain nameless when saying

” It would appear that a cost cutting exercise is needed to balance the books and certain players are going to be offered their release so the mood is anything but happy .

“Roberto Halliday also declined a request to take charge of training and the whole place is in a state of turmoil so it’s probably a good thing that we have no game for the next couple of weeks.”

Meanwhile, seasoned Junior ace Rankin, with 42 years under his belt at this level of the game, admitted he had never felt as low as he has this past few months

He declared: "It’s been a seven days a week job since the season got underway and at times I’ve felt as if my main duty has been to give CPR to the club and I’m relieved to be away from it if truth be told.

“The people I feel most sorry for are the supporters whose backing for Murdie and myself has been terrific all along and I regret not being able to deliver the big prizes they deserve.

“Another part of me is heartfelt sorry for my backroom team of Murdie, Ian Penman and Billy Kerr who have stood shoulder to shoulder with me over the past two and a half years at Meadow Park and most particularly Murdie who is a real enthusiast and a marvellous coach.

“Hopefully he can quickly land himself another club and possibly move into management as his own man whereas I’m more inclined to do what my wife Jennifer wants and take a break away from the firing line.”

Speculation is rife over Rankine’s possible replacement with the names of three former players…current Kilwinning Rangers boss Chris Strain Junior, Mark Campbell and Brian McGinty receiving plenty of mention in despatches however yet another possible candidate for the managerial post is thought to be ex-Cumnock manager Brian McLuckie .

Medda club secretary Lynn McFarlane who has intimated a Monday, January 4 deadline for would-be applicants, admitted she had already received a number of enquiries from interested parties.

She said: "Stevie and Murdie are really great guys but even they shared the opinion felt by our officials that results were poor in the extreme and could not be allowed to continue .

“Our committee meeting at the start of this week decided unanimously to let them go and I would have to say the timing was right given the two week Xmas break away from playing action.

“Coming up fast on the horizon is our Scottish Junior Cup clash with Linlithgow Rose and our aim is to have a new man in place going into what is a very important game.”

Meanwhile, the Auchinleck Talbot v Kilbirnie Ladeside fixture taking place on Sunday 3rd January 2016 will have competition for the festive crowds after Ardrossan Winton Rovers agreed to host the visit of Super First Division rivals Bellshill Athletic (Kick off 1.45pm)