BRIAN McGINTY today revealed that guiding Bellshill Athletic to the Stagecoach Central First Division title would mean more to him than any honours picked up during his career.

The former Cumnock, Irvine Meadow and Pollok ace would never have imagined during Senior stints spent with Rangers, Hull City, Scarborough Town and St Mirren that the twilight of his illustrious career would see him managing a third-tier Junior club ... and a homeless one at that!

His appointment and that of No.2 Sinky Soutar as replacements for Robert Downs and Stevie Aitchison - now at Arthurlie - receives its first examination today when the table-topping Lanarkshire travel to fellow-title challengers Dunipace, currently occupying third place in the standings.

And the 38-year-old's determination to get his dugout debut away to the best possible start has him vowing not to shuffle his pack for the visit to Denny.

Gints admitted: "The normal way of things is for a new team manager to be installed when his predecessor has either resigned or been sacked because of poor results.

"But that's not clearly how matters have unfolded at Bellshill, where Sinky and I consider ourselves to have landed lucky to have inherited a top- of-the-table side and the key is not to mess up what has been left to us.

"That translates into avoiding the need to make changes, either personnel-wise or from a playing-style perspective, so our supporters can expect the team to be along familiar lines today.

"And if we glean the same commitment and focus from the players as Downsy and Aitchy did in the first half of the season, then not a lot can go wrong, even though we fully expect a strong-going Dunipace will provide a test of our mettle."

McGinty is adamant his previous Junior experiences will stand him in good stead for helping Bellshill's push for title glory over their 14-game run-in.

He insisted: "Regardless of a club's stature, winning championships is never straightforward and being top of the table at this stage of the season only becomes meaningful if you are still sitting there come the end of the season.

"Yes, there are pressures that come when you are top of the tree, and everyone wants to knock you of your perch, but chasing clubs have even pressures of a different kind as they simply cannot afford to lose ground on the leaders.

"I've experienced both sides of the fence and, to my mind, it's much more preferable to be out in front and asking questions of your rivals because every game you win reduces the chances of being overhauled.

"Bellshill are not one of the game's big guns, but the players here have handled the big games really well, so if they do go on to finish top of the pile then every single player can be immensely satisfied with their efforts.

"And nobody will be feeling more pride than myself, even though it will be Downsy's team who have crossed the line."

Junior ground staff will be hoping the late thaw has come soon enough to allow games to go ahead today, particularly those venues hosting the nine outstanding Scottish Junior Cup fourth-round ties which SJFA chiefs are keeping fingers crossed will go ahead at the fourth time of asking.

One tie definitely going ahead is the Culter v Linlithgow Rose contest which the North Region side have agreed to take to the artificial surface of Spain Park, home of Banks O'Dee.

Closer to home, the Ayrshire District League clash of Muirkirk and Ardrossan has been switched to Winton Park because of the likelihood of Burnside Park failing a pitch inspection.

Early-morning inspections are planned just about everywhere. and one hears Pollok have taken the precaution of provisionally booking the indoor facility at Toryglen in case Newlandsfield is declared unplayable for the visit of Cumnock.

On the signing front, Glencairn have snapped up Wishaw defender Jonathan Boal, while the outstanding form of Irvine Meadow winger Gary McCann has attracted attention interest from the SPFL Premiership, with both Hamilton Accies and St Mirren expressing an interest in the 22- year-old's future.

Medda boss Stevie Rankin confirmed the news, saying: "Gary has been training with the Hamilton players and is due to go in to St Mirren Park next week."