Irvine Meadow boss Stevie Rankin has slammed reports suggesting he has re-signed the Ayrshire club's former striker Richie Barr as "premature to say the least".

Pollok and Junior Scotland frontman Barr was only placed on the transfer list at his own request last weekend, yet rumours abounded that he was on his way back to the Meadow Park dressing room he walked away from at the start of this season in the wake of Rankin taking up the reins.

The front man opted to join Pollok, leaving the down- to-earth gaffer to go about his team rebuilding plans while making no secret of the fact Barr was one of the Medda players he had hoped to retain.

But word of the hitman's fresh transfer-listed status revived Rankin's interest and sparked an approach to Pollok last midweek which resulted in the clubs quickly agreeing terms on a transfer deal, however Rankin insisted Barr has yet to put pen to paper ahead of today's transfer deadline.

He said: "Trying to pin Richie down is proving to be every bit as difficult off the pitch as it is on it but I remain hopeful the paperwork formalities can be completed in time.

"But if it doesn't pan out then striking reinforcements are not too far away with Chris Hall only two weeks away from a return to playing action from the broken foot he coincidentally picked up against Pollok in early January.

"If necessary we will move for other signing targets because the return of Chris along with the likelihood of Richie coming on board had led to us releasing Scott Sally whose three-month stint with the club has been blighted by him spending two of those months on the injured list.

"He needs plenty of game time to get himself back into prime condition and I just don't see him getting it here so it's in his best interests to move elsewhere."

Second-placed Medda host Clydebank this Saturday and Rankin is urging his playing charges to focus on the task of picking up league points if they are to have any chance of overhauling frontrunners Auchinleck Talbot over their Super Premier Divsion run-in.

He said: "Talbot are still favourites for the title but we have to keep pressure on them by continuing to win our games and see if it causes any slip-ups.

"It's only natural for players to have one eye on our Scottish Cup double-header against Hurlford United but we simply must put all thoughts of those games to the back of our minds until after we play Clydebank."

Meanwhile, one hears of an intriguing aspect to Central Second Division bottom markers East Kilbride chalking up their first victory of the season with a 1-0 defeat of St Roch's.

Producing a shut-out performance between the sticks for the Jags after answering a last gasp call-to-arms was 17- year-old Jack Wardlaw, who normally turns out for Rutherglen Glencairn under-19s and is the son of EK gaffer Alan Wardlaw.

He did not hesitate when asked to step into the breach caused by a crisis brought about through the unavailability of regular Thistle shotstoppers Greg Aitken (broken thumb), Markos Koukos (work) and Gary Lynn (twisted ankle).

Veteran midfielder Andy McFarlane netted the crucial strike in a pulsating affair that saw Thistle finish with only nine players following the dismissals of Mark Butler and Thomas Buckley.

However, proud dad Wardy was only for talking about his goalkeeping protege's display.

He said: "If I say so myself, Jack produced three outstanding saves that I would have been proud of at my peak.

"He was superb and fully justified his inclusion in the team but has now given me a headache in so far as I have never been one to change a winning side but neither do I want to promote him into the Junior ranks too early in his career.

"He is developing well under the tutelage of local goalkeeping coach Hugh O'Neil so I will take his studied opinion into consideration prior to picking our team to play Forth Wanderers away from home next Saturday.

"Markos could be the answer to our prayers if his work commitments ease but nothing will be known for definite until later this week."