Happy New Year ! Not if you are Lesmahagow team boss Billy McDonald.

A string of postponed matches has seen the 39 year old , infamous for throwing a punch at Paul Gascoigne during his playing days with Partick Thistle , cut a frustrated figure ever since assuming the Craighead Park reins in mid-November .

Just two competitive outings in ten weeks has been the former Senior midfielder’s lot , a 3-0 debut win over St Rochs as well as a 2-1 defeat at the hands of near neighbours Carluke Rovers, so he’s understandably keeping fingers crossed that this week’s Fullarton Park head to head against Vale of Clyde gets the go-ahead.

Feted coach Billy insisted, “I’m relatively new to the Juniors and it’s bitterly disappointing to have so many games called off , but people around me say I just have to grin and bear it as most clubs with grass pitches suffer this same rash of postponements at this time of year.

“The upside is having more time to work with the Gow players and get my philosophies across however there comes a stage when you have to see the guys in action to know if improvements are being made.

“This was not a happy camp around the time of my appointment but one of the first decisions I made was to bring in the former manager Rab Irving to work alongside me as his knowledge of Junior football is immense and I have a great respect for his opinion.

“All it took was a few tweaks to change the mood and get the players showing a spirit and commitment that has been nothing short of excellent and I feel there are definite signs of us getting our act together.

“Unfortunately , our having total of 16 league games left to play in little over four months doesn’t leave much room for error if Lesmahagow are to close the gap on the teams currently in the promotion reckoning so hopefully we can get 2016 away to the best possible start by putting three points on the board on Saturday.”

Billy has crammed in some festive friendly outings over the period, winning 6-1 against Forth Wanderers, narrowly losing 5-4 to Arthurlie and suffering a 6-1 reverse earlier this week against strong going Cumnock in which youngster Jordan Whitefield was on the Gow scoresheet.

The gaffer insisted , “ Our retention of the ball was so much better in the earlier outings with Forth and Arthurlie as well as for the first 45 minutes against what was a very clinical and impressive Cumnock side .

“Making five changes to give match fitness to everyone undoubtedly knocked our shape to bits and culminated in an instantly forgettable second half but I won’t be too hard on the guys because ;also believe putting them through a particularly stiff Saturday training session told on our legs.”

New signings Anton Conway (St Anthony's) and James McRorie (amateur football) featured against the Ayrshiremen along with previously transfer listed front man Jack Currie however McDonald was not for revealing if they would come into his thoughts for starting places against the Tin Pail who climbed off the bottom of the Central First Division table last weekend with a shock 3-2 victory over league leaders Renfrew.

He said , “ That result raised more than a few eyebrows but I’m not altogether surprised as you cannot get a cigarette paper between so many clubs in the First Division and Vale of Clyde looked very well organised and more than decent when I watched them play against Dumbarton Under 20’s .

“They have an excellent striker in the Clyde loan signing Scott McManus while James McKinstry, a former team mate of mine at Partick Thistle as well Clydebank is very influential in their midfield and I believe this is as tough a fixture as we could have landed coming out of near hibernation.”

In other First Division contests , resurgent Johnstone Burgh may not get things their own way away to Maryhill whose manager Jim Delaney is keen to rack up a third consecutive league win.

St Rochs are strongly fancied to end a run of seven games without a win when hosting the visit of bottom markers Dunipace while the need for points is acute at McKenna Park where fourth from bottom St Anthonys await the visit of one point worse off Neilston.