Prolific goalscorer Kieran Burns today vowed to establish himself as one of Clydebank's first-choice strikers - next season.

The 21-year-old joined the Bankies for a second time last month when he put pen to paper on a transfer from Super Premier rivals Irvine Meadow where he had been hopelessly out of favour despite a high-profile move there at the start of this season.

Kieran's previous stint with Budgie McGhie's side – when he was loaned out by Partick Thistle – endeared him to Clydebank's supporters and he now regrets turning his back on them to sign for the reigning West Region champions.

He has already started to make amends by coming off the substitutes' bench to net two late goals that secured a 3-1 triumph over Cumnock last weekend and he is hoping for more heroics off the bench in tomorrow's Holm Park encounter against Rob Roy.

He reasoned: "Any striker worth his salt would be looking for a starting jersey after banging in a couple of goals. However, I'm a long way short of full fitness so my contribution has to be limited to short playing spells.

"Things went my way last week, but if Ross McPherson and Joe Andrew are doing the business against Rob Roy and I have to stay tracksuited then so be it.

"What's more important is that Clydebank claim third place in the table and I'll do whatever is needed to help, but already I've written off this season and my focus now is on getting a good pre-season under my belt to challenge for a regular place next time round."

Boss Budgie said: "Anything we get from Kieran during our run-in games is a bonus as he's been signed purely with next season in mind.

"He's an instinctive penalty box type who is quite different from the other frontmen in our squad and we have high hopes for him living up to the potential he showed in his first spell here.

Suspension-free Tommy Martin and recovered-from-injury midfielder Gordon Moffat are in contention for starting places against the Rabs as is goalkeeper Robert Hamilton.

Budgie admitted: "We served up arguably our best performance of the season to beat Rob Roy at Adamslie and it could be we'll need to hit those same heights again if we want to pick up all three points."

The battle to avoid relegation hangs over the remaining couple of top-flight contests, both taking place deep in the Ayrshire heartlands.

For instance, Super Premier bottom markers Shotts Bon Accord are facing a crucial clash at Loch Park against a Glenafton Athletic side currently fourth from bottom and fully nine points ahead of the Lanarkshire outfit.

The visitors have played an astonishing seven games fewer than their opponents, however one cannot help but think defeat for Tony McInally's men would leave them struggling to close the points gap.

At nearby Townhead Park, third-from-bottom Cumnock have it all to do when hosting the visit of high-flying Ashfield, whose playing strengths are boosted by the return of suspension-free striker Chris Hall and cornerstone defender Andy Brand.

Elsewhere, one hears of a potential hammer-blow to ailing Central First Division outfit St Roch's on the comings and goings front with terracing whispers reckoning their longest-serving player – Michael Williams – has quit the Garngad club in the wake of last weekend's crushing 5-1 defeat by league bottom markers East Kilbride Thistle.

And ambitious Hurlford United have again boosted playing resources ahead of the Super First Division title run-in by snapping up experienced defender Michael Holden of Saltcoats Vics.

Meanwhile, supporters of Emirates Scottish Junior Cup protagonists Linlithgow Rose and Shotts Bon Accord should note that SJFA chiefs have agreed to a request from both clubs asking for the kick-off times in both their forthcoming semi-final jousts (April 13 and 20) to be brought forward an hour to 2pm.