Overnight snow on Friday in conjunction with a biting frost put paid to the Junior football fixture card on Saturday with all of the scheduled 16 Scottish Junior Cup fourth-round ties wiped out and not a single game going ahead in West Region circles.

Cromdale Park, home of Spey Valley, one of two North Region survivors in the Scottish, was the only pitch given the thumbs down on Friday night.

But the best efforts of club volunteers up and down the country could not prevent the casualty list growing following a spate of early morning inspections.

Shettleston's eagerly-awaited clash with Clydebank was among the call-offs, much to the frustration of Town boss Hugh Kelly.

He said: "We worked on the pitch during the week and were feeling confident about the game passing muster, but overnight conditions on Friday killed us.

"It's disappointing in the extreme because everyone was looking forward to the tie, but there's nothing we can do other than prepare all over again starting on Monday night."

Some team managers made light of the conditions to put their players through impromptu training sessions.

Others, meanwhile, took the opportunity provided by Senior football's January transfer window to make further attempts at boosting their playing resources through brokering loan deals or permanent arrangements.

In the latter bracket is Shotts Bon Accord boss Tam McDonald, who in tandem with No.2 John Gibson has been seeking to help stave off the threat of relegation.

And his immediate priority is to inject some new blood into a dressing room now bereft of Salim Kouider Assis after the striker was recalled from his Hannah Park loan spell by parent club Stenhousemuir.

McDonald admitted: "It's not easy getting players in from other Junior clubs as some of the prices being asked for guys deemed surplus to requirements are totally prohibitive and it's no wonder so many Seniors are coming into the game on loan deals.

"It's a sign of the times that only three or four of our Super Premier Division clubs do not have loan players on their books and with money so tight, I can only see the trend continuing.

"Go along to any SFL reserve game and you will be guaranteed to meet up with at least a handful of Junior managers, most of them watching the same players."

Just prior to the weekend, Cumbernauld United snapped up promising Partick Thistle frontman Blair Malcolm.

And another teenage prospect, Morton defender David Verlaque, who numbers Albion Rovers and Queens Park among his previous clubs, has pen to paper sealing a move to Clydebank.

Ambitious Kilwinning Rangers, continuing to proudly fly the flag for Ayrshire District League clubs in the Scottish last 32, agreed a transfer fee with Bo'ness United to clinch the high-profile signing of one-time Airdrie and St Johnstone forward Willie McLaren who has trained at Abbey Park in recent weeks.

Fixing up 30 year old McLaren who was on the books of Kilwinning's great rivals Irvine Meadow as recently as last season is regarded as a shrewd and timely piece of transfer business by Buffs boss Chris Strain given that injury is continuing to rule out his talismanic striking ace Ben Lewis.

Indeed, it's believed McLaren's impressive training ground showings had him firmly in contention to partner top scorer Bryan Boylan in attack if the Scottish tie against Fauldhouse United had gone ahead on Saturday.

The East Region outfit were involved in a transfer of their own after offloading former Pollok and Renfrew left back Drew Ramsay to Petershill where he appears to be a ready-made replacement for Craig Palmer, now at Arthurlie.

Meanwhile, a few more Springburn eyebrows will have been raised by a weekend announcement stating midfielder Liam Finnigan has been placed on the transfer list at his own request.

The dazzling performances of former Berwick Rangers winger Mark Lamont and injury woes have severely curtailed the former Campsie Black Watch ace's appearances this season.

And it would appear his determination to leave and command a regular game has forced Peasy boss Willie Patterson into listening to offers - and there are sure to be many - for the 24-year-old.

Elsewhere, Girvan's appointment of Peter Leonard to fill their long standing managerial vacancy leaves just Largs Thistle and Glenafton to fill their hotseats and both clubs have hinted at interviews taking place over the coming week .