Outside of Newlandsfield – and often within its sumptuous confines – there are Junior fans lining up to have a pop at Pollok striker David Gormley.

Auchinleck Talbot supporters delighted in mercilessly baiting their former player at every opportunity during Saturday’s 2-1 victory for the Ayrshire kingpins yet not too many Pollok voices were heard in defence of the front man of whom great things were predicted when he was reinstated from Clyde midway through last season.

A terracing straw poll would likely say he hasn’t delivered in that respect – and even Gormz would not disagree – however it only gives ammunition to his critics that he has so little to say for himself, in stark contrast to the outgoing, often brash and supremely confident hitman who at the peak of his powers was capped for Junior Scotland and netted Talbot’s winning goal in the 2015 Scottish Junior Cup Final triumph over Linlithgow Rose.

Times Sport finally caught up with the 30 year old after Saturday’s final whistle when a lot of questions were answered by his “horse’s mouth” revelations.

“Nobody is more disappointed or knows better than me that I’m not the player I once was," he said.

“My problems started when I had my cartilage removed to leave me with bone rubbing against bone in my knee which is excruciatingly painful whenever I make runs.

“It can be a total hit or a miss because sometimes I feel good come a Saturday and can play 90 minutes full out but then I can hardly walk on the following Monday and Tuesday.

“Tony McInally and his backroom team have been magnificent in their understanding of my condition and they have nursed me through games even if it means I cannot train most Monday nights and can only do gentle workouts to keep myself ticking over.

“It’s not ideal and obviously my sharpness is not quite there as a result, but right now I am needed by Pollok because we are being hit with a horrible run of injuries so, if I can play through the pain barrier, then I will.

“Against Auchinleck, both Stuart McCann and Adam Forde were unavailable so I had to put in a shift for the team but I simply cannot expect to be pulling on a jersey if I’m not training when everyone is fully fit.”

Lok gaffer McInally said of his striking ace: “I cannot praise David enough for what he is putting himself through for the club and he needs to be taken out of the firing line, but that cannot happen until we get someone to fill his boots.”

Elsewhere, Renfrew’s emphatic 5-1 weekend hammering of Irvine Meadow in which new striker signing Jason Hardie (ex-Petershill) was on the scoresheet, has indirectly led to the surprise transfer listing of versatile ace Darren Jones .

Frew co-boss Colin Clark revealed: “We have mainly picked Darren for the left side of our midfield but he prefers to play further forward and we don’t see him getting too many games with Jason, Davie McKenna, Scott Morton and Rikky McIntosh already competing for the jerseys.

“Rather than keep an unhappy player, we have decided to listen to offers for him and I’m pretty sure he will attract plenty of interest.”

In other transfer news, Arthurlie have been quick of the mark to fix up defenders Stuart Hall (Rutherglen Glencairn) and David Reid (Cumbernauld United) while Kilsyth Rangers have recruited former Cumbernauld goalkeeper David Buchanan.