AlaIn Kinney reckons he owes a huge debt of gratitude to Renfrew after they secured his signing from Pollok last night.

The bustling frontman has quickly become a forgotten man to Newlandsfield fans, with his last sighting in the black and white colours coming in June.

Ironically, that was against Renfrew when he featured as an unused substitute in the Super Premier play-off second leg at Western Park.

A 1-1 outcome sufficed to clinch a resounding 5-1 aggregate victory and retain Lok's top-flight status.

However, it also sparked a major dressing room revamp by manager John Richardson that resulted in 27-year-old Kinney finding himself deemed surplus to requirements and placed on the transfer list.

Western Park co-bosses Colin Clark and Martin Ferry were quickly on his case and he featured for Renfrew as a trialist in the pre-season Neilston tournament where netting four goals in two matches helped to win the trophy prize.

After that, though, Kinney slipped off the radar and hasn't played in any games despite several clubs making tentative signing approaches.

His chances of finding a new club were looking bleak until renewed Frew interest led to him taking part in training sessions and agreeing to sign.

Now he's keeping fingers crossed he can make his debut away to Cumbernauld United tomorrow and make a good enough impression to put himself in the running for a sensational Euroscot Eng Sectional League Cup Final appearance against former club Pollok a week on Wednesday.

Asked if he was relishing the prospect of proving a point in the Lochburn Park finale, Kinney's response was typically down to earth.

He said: "My not cutting it at Pollok is just one of those things that can happen in football, but I've no intention of looking back on the ifs and buts of my time there and neither am I looking ahead to the cup final.

"My focus is on nothing other than doing well at Renfrew and proving myself worthy of a regular jersey.

"I've had a near three-month sabbatical so it's only right to take things one game at a time, hopefully starting with an appearance of some sorts against Cumbernauld

"Match fitness-wise I'm a long way from where I want to be but already I feel in much better shape for working out under Martin Ferry on the training ground and my aim is to get my act together and kick on from here."

Frew co-boss Clark revealed his club's second-bottom-of-the-table position forced his hand into signing Kinney. He said: "Alain knows where the goal is and he brings something different to the table in so far as he's a big and strong target man type whom the others can feed off.

"And his signing also throws down a gauntlet to the guys already here to prove they should stay in the team.

"I'm keen to see how the big man gels with his new team-mates, but I do have a slight concern over a niggling calf muscle problem that's been bothering him ever since he played as a Beith trialist.

" We don't want the situation of losing Alain for up to a month so we'll have a look at him before kick-off tomorrow."

A definite Frew non-starter through at Guy's Meadow is one-time Rangers signing Iain Nicholson who is posted missing due to work commitments.

Meanwhile, Super First Division pacesetters Kello Rovers won't find it easy to maintain their winning ways away to Maybole and any slip-up could be pounced upon by second-placed Hurlford United awaiting the visit of Kilsyth Rangers.

Thorniewood United will be hard pressed to contain a Glasgow Perthshire side that bounced back to form with a six- goal mauling of Cumbernauld Utd last Saturday.

Arguably, the Super First match of the day goes ahead at Barrfields where Largs Thistle lock horns with a Rutherglen Glencairn side going for a third league win on the trot.