THERE was no shortage of spills and thrills in the second half of 2015 with the blue touchpaper lit by the many transfer moves during the summer months as clubs geared up to challenge for the big prizes on offer.

Hurlford United and Petershill picked up the early-season silverware and nobody would bet against either top flight side picking up further honours even though a lack of consistency has seen both clubs fail to shine on the Super Premier Division front which is already shaping up as a two-horse race between reigning champions Auchinleck Talbot and shock troops Rob Roy.

JULY

Has always been the month for frenetic transfer activity and this year provided yet another abundance of comings and goings.

Rutherglen Glencairn’s need for a greater goalscoring threat brought the acquisitions of Adam Nisanci, Paddy Cullen, Mark Tait and Chris Zok as well as the return of defensive stalwart Tony Fraser from a Cumbernauld United side that is shorn of Danny Boyle and Gavin Mackie who depart for Rob Roy whose manager Stewart Maxwell also signs Tower Hearts prospect Jordan McGuire, but the departure of Thomas Collins to Beith and Ryan Tiffaney to Blantyre Vics is more than compensated for when Kevin Watt obtains his release from Annan Athletic to resign for the newly-promoted Kirkintilloch outfit.

Irvine Meadow goalkeeper Andy Carlin and Rossvale midfielder Ross Hepburn move to Kilsyth Rangers, Cumnock stopper Stephen Low joins Lesmahagow, Petershill fix up Jamie Brough (Troon) and Vale of Clyde pair Hashim Cole and Joel Kasabundi step up to Clydebank .

Maryhill’s newly-appointed boss Jim Delaney signs journeyman striker Jamie Docherty and there’s a new man in charge at Yoker after John McAulay steps down and is replaced by Steff Reilly who brings in ex-Partick Thistle ace Martin Hardie as his No 2.

Fresh managerial blood is also provided by Alan Moffat (at Dunipace), Robert Docherty (Ashfield), George Grierson (Muirkirk), and down at Troon where the helm is handed to Gordon Burns who wastes no time in making his mark with the captures of Colin Spence (Auchinleck), Chris McKnight (Cumnock) and Dale Shirkie (Ayr Utd), while the signings of Sean McKenna (Beith) and Adam Forsyth (Annbank Utd) are seen as a direct replacements for the departures of Stevie Wilson and David Gillies to Auchinleck Talbot.

The commencement of friendly matches brings Benburb's boss of the last 13 years, Frank Lovering, handing over the reins to son Paul in time to coincide with New Tinto Park opening with the playing of the annual Dennis Donnelly Memorial game against Ardossan Winton Rovers.

Blantyre Vics frontman David Galt steps up to Queen's Park and a high profile reinstatement occurs at Cumnock where Paul Burns joins from Queen of the South, while Auchinleck are boosted as Mark Campbell and Martin McGoldrick recover from injuries.

AUGUST

Pollok skipper Paul Gallagher makes his long awaited return in a 2-1 friendly defeat of

Newtongrange Star in which the winning goal comes from trialist Paul Harkins (ex-Queen's Park) who then nets a hat-trick against Shotts Bon Accord but does not sign for the Newlandsfield club.

Petershill winger Mark Lamont guests for Hurlford United, Glenafton sign Ally Park (Talbot), Chris Malone and J.P. Boyle (Kilbirnie) and Mick McCann (Troon), while old-stager Roland Fabiani turns out for Port Glasgow aged 43 years.

Sectional League Cup action getting underway sees Pollok and Arthurlie play out a 0-0 stalemate, Auchinleck win 2-0 against Cumnock, Junior newcomers Gartcairn overcome Carluke Rovers by a 2-1 scoreline and Renfrew’s first outing at New Western Park results in a 2-0 defeat of Johnstone Burgh through goals from Alan Kinney and Scott Arthur.

This season’s Scottish Junior Cup first round draw at Hampden Park and the pick of the ties include all-West Region clashes Bellshill Athletic v Wishaw and Port Glasgow v Benburb .

The first managerial casualty of the season occurs at Gartcairn where work commitments are attributed to Billy McKie stepping down.

The McBookie.com league openers see reigning champions Auchinleck beat Shettleston, Rob Roy overcome Glenafton, Irvine Meadow lose to Arthurlie and Pollok go down at home to Troon.

SEPTEMBER

Kilbirnie’s reinstatement of Darren Miller (Dumbarton) and Kevin Turner (East Stirling) results in experienced frontman Robbie Winters departing the Ayrshire outfit to sign for Pollok.

Clydebank and Largs Thistle top the Super First Division pile, Maryhill, Renfrew and Thorniewood Utd are to the fore at Central First Division level while Lanark United are the early Second Division pacesetters.

Irvine Meadow list former Pollok trialist Harkins and ex-Albion Rovers midfielder Gary Philips in a 1-1 draw with the Glasgow side, however Philips opts to sign for Largs managed by his erstwhile Auchinleck team-mate Brian Slaven.

Petershill beat Rob Roy on a penalty shoot-out to earn a Euroscot Eng Cup Final date with Vale of Clyde who also need penalty-kicks to beat semi-final opponents Wishaw. The Ardagh Cup Final in Ayrshire will be between Hurlford United, 5-1 winners over Maybole, and Troon following their shoot-out triumph against Kilwinning Rangers.

In the Scottish Junior Cup ties, Wishaw prevail in a replay with Bellshill as do Benburb in a heated confrontation against Port Glasgow, while Glenafton to score with a 14-0 defeat of Newmachars.

Irvine Meadow look to have turned the corner after their insipid start to the season with a 7-2 hammering of Beith.

OCTOBER

Scotland coaches Mark McGhee and Stuart McColl make the second round draw for the Scottish Junior Cup and set up intriguing contests in Petershill v Newtongrange, Shettleston v Kilbirnie and Pollok v Yoker.

Hurlford Utd claim the first trophy of the season with a 4-2 Ardagh Glass Cup Final victory over Troon while the New Coin Holdings Cup openers see holders Arthurlie win 2-1 at home to Maryhill, Cambuslang Rangers beat Shotts Bon Accord, Pollok exit against Irvine Meadow and Petershill lose out to Auchinleck.

Vale of Clyde striker Gavin Ross suffers a horror double leg break that causes his side’s tie against Annbank to be abandoned but he gets out of hospital in time to take in the Tin Pail giving higher league Petershill a run for their money in the Euroscot Eng League Cup Final before going down on penalty-kicks following a 1-1 regulation time draw.

Transfer moves continue with Blantyre Vics signing ex-Aberdeen and St Johnstone defender Kevin Rutkiewicz, Zok departs Glencairn for Renfrew, Chris Mackie turns down several West Region clubs to join Bo’ness Utd and striker Ian Diak returns from Sauchie to feature for Irvine Meadow as a trialist.

Renfrew are rocked as Scott Arthur asks away and goes back to former club Vale of Leven on top of cartilage damage ruling out Chris Cameron.

Rossvale go two points clear atop the Central First Division and strengthen their playing hand by signing back Yammi Misanjo from Albion Rovers and Junior football is united in mourning the sad passing of ex-Petershill and Pollok scoring legend Norrie Fulton.

In the Scottish Cup second round ties, the Peasy overcome Newtongrange in a replay and a second bite is required for Kilbirnie to get the better of Shettleston, while Neilston came good against Rutherglen Glencairn.

Shocks abound as Wishaw knock out Super Premier Division league leaders Rob Roy by a 3-0 scoreline, but arguably a deeper wounding is suffered by once mighty Cambuslang Rangers in losing 7-1 to Girvan.

NOVEMBER

A new sponsor, ETHX Energy is found in time for the Scottish Junior Cup third round draw which pits Troon v Bo’ness Utd, Petershill v Musselburgh and Clydebank v Kelty Hearts among a number of top West v East confrontations.

Whitletts Vics boss Vics Ricky Ryland resigns as does long serving Lesmahagow manager Robert Irving whose replacement is revealed as one-time Partick Thistle midfielder Billy McDonald.

Glenafton sign midfielder Michael Wardrope (Ayr Utd), Shettleston transfer list Brian McEwan and Danny Boyle, Shotts get striker Danny Burns from Arthurlie, troubled Irvine Meadow bring in loan signing David Sinclair from Stirling Albion, Ross Hepburn returns to Rossvale from Kilsyth Rangers and Greenock snap up Beith midfielder Jamie Campbell.

Pollok lose 1-0 at home to a Shettleston side (inclusive of back-in-favour McEwan) and are knocked off their top-of-the-table perch' while Auchinleck’s stunning 4-3 comeback win over Hurlford Utd is marred by a serious knee injury to popular stopper Mark Campbell that causes him to call time on his playing career.

Troon win 2-1 against Bo’ness, Petershill win at home to last season’s beaten finalists Musselburgh but Clydebank lose out against Kelty.

DECEMBER

Winter raises its head and unplayable pitches result in only two West Region fixtures going ahead on the first Saturday in December.

The Evening Times hosts the last-32 draw in the ETHX Energy Scottish Junior Cup and among the early Xmas crackers pulled from the hat by Junior legends Rusty Craig and Billy Young are Auchinleck v Cumnock, Arthurlie v Wishaw and Linlithgow Rose v Irvine Meadow.

One-time Pollok fans favourite Carlo Monti sparks a clamour for his signature after revealing he is coming home from Malta and his former club have four players sent off in the closing nine minutes of their 1-0 defeat by Rob Roy in a Super Premier top-of-the-table clash.

One of the Lok red card sinners, John Sweeney asks away in the aftermath and is bought by ambitious St Roch's

Whitletts Vics appoint Troon No.2 Neil Duffy as their new manager, David Greig sensationally quits at Blantyre Vics, but even more eyebrows are raised as Irvine Meadow sack their management team of Stevie Rankine and Murdie McKinnon.