ROBERT DOWNS today issued a stark warning to his Bellshill players that the ghost of Christmas past could wreck their promotion dreams.

This time last year the Lanarkshire side were leading from the front in the Central First Division race.

But they fluffed their lines after a post-festive period loss of form ultimately saw them finish just outside the step-up places.

Fast forward 12 months and Downs has every reason to be cheerful as Bellshill's oustanding consistency - they have lost once in 11 league outings - has them sitting atop the table fully seven points clear of the chasing pack.

But the gaffer will only be convinced that promotion is theirs for the taking if his players can come through their crowded run of festive fixtures unscathed.

His faith in the team will be severely tested as they face away matches with Vale of Clyde and Renfrew and home clashes against local Downsy cautioned: "We were in a similar frontrunning position this time last year and everyone was openly tipping us for the title.

"But a dip in form led to us shedding points right,left and centre to finish in fourth place just outside the step up places.

"It was a body blow and there is a school of thought saying that experience will stand us in good stead this time around.

"However, Stevie Aitshison and I are not having any of that guff spoken in our dressing room.

"Sheer hard work and commitment has put the players in the position they're in today and a lot more of the same is required if we want to see the job through to a happy conclusion."

The outspoken gaffer reckons the onus is on his players to maintain their form and stay ahead of closest challengers Dunipace, Renfrew, and Lesmahagow.

He added: " Add Blantyre Vics to this mix along with Maryhill, who dished out our only league defeat, and you almost certainly have the half dozen teams who will be contesting the promotion spots next May.

"Our failure last time has put a seed of doubt in some quarters and that's why I'm urging the guys to send out a message of intent in our next four matches that include crunch head to heads with Dunipace and Renfrew.

"There are no easy games, but picking up the points would put everyone connected with the club on a high for the last third of our league season."

Bellshill's determination to forge a winning run gets underway with a Fullarton Park showdown against their landlords Vale of Clyde, down in ninth place and ten points worse off.

Yet Downsy is wary of the dangers posed by the Ian Currie steered Tin Pail .

The 38-year old revealed: "Running out 4-1 winners when the teams met earlier this season might have outsiders thinking this game is a formality for us however that is anything but the case.

"For fully 30 minutes Ian's team gave us a going over but they only managed to establish a 1-0 lead thanks to their own wasteful finishing and some terrific saves from our goalkeeper Zander Cowie.

"Eventually we got a foothold in the game and had our own spell on top where our finishing proved to be a lot more clinical and that paved the way for us to run out resounding winners on paper at least.

"Ian has put together a terrific attacking side so we'll need to defend well and look to pinch something at the other end."

The bad news for the Lanarkshire outfit's followers is that Andy Selkirk, Calum Brady and Nicky Cairney are looking definite non-starters with striker Selkirk's absence causing the most concern as Downsy believes his physicality lends itself to compliment the skills of smaller stature trio Jay Mackay, Ryan Connelly and Mark McCarry.

He added: "We'll give Andy every chance to be passed fit, but he's not looking too hopeful right now and the probability is two of the other guys s will team up to form our forward line partnership.

"We carry four good strikers in the squad to cover for these type of eventualities so I don't see the point in bleating over injuries?"

Dunipace host the visit of fellow challengers Renfrew in the Central First game of the day and Blantyre Vics will look to make home advantage count against the visiting Carluke Rovers while Lesmahagow look a good bet for the spoils at home to bottom markers Ashfield.

Elsewhere, an injury picked up in midweek by Clydebank stopper Andy Irvine has Bankies boss Budgie McGhie facing a defensive crisis away to Super Premier Division title challengers Auchinleck, whose own rearguard is shorn of the commanding presence of Mark Campbell because of a foot gash sustained in last weekend's 3-1 defeat of Troon.

On the open to transfer list is Rob Roy midfielder Jordan McKechnie who was previously on the books of East Stirling.