Annbank United fear horror fixture backlog

Feb 26 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

WORRIED Steph McMillan fearsAnnbank United’s season will never end as they face a horror backlog of games.

Bankies have been hardest hit by the fierce winter blast with a mammoth 18 league games still to play.

And with the Ayrshire Cup and South Ayrshire Cup also to contend with, Bankies face the prospect of playing four games a week to complete their programme.

Boss McMillan insists his New Pebble Parkers will take it in their stride but admitted: “It’s the worst I have ever known.

“The only good side is that we tend to play better towards the end of the season when we revel on better surfaces.

“But it could be different this time as we are down to only 15 or 16 players with Jay Ritchie on the transfer list and Darwin Johnstone out after a knee operation.

“It means we face a nightmare schedule but we will just have to deal with it.

“If we win three of our next five games we will be mid table. It’s incredible to think we have nine games in hand on Glenafton who are fifth top and only eight points ahead of us.”

McMillan admits to fears at how the midweek fixtures will be cast.

He revealed: “Last season we were sent to Renfrew on Bank Holiday Monday. We got there only 15 minutes before kick-off and lost 3-0.

“We’ve got to hope we get midweek games against the likes of Maybole and Whitletts which will be much more sensible.”

McMillan has kept his men fit with sessions at Kyle Academy gym, astroturf at Prestwick Academy and Ayr’s Pro-Soccer.

But there is no substitute for playing and Bankies are itching to get back in action.

McMillan said: “We’ll treat the league as priority and the two cups will take second and third place. It’s the only thing we can do with a small squad and so many games to squeeze in.”

West regional secretary Scott Robertson says the weather is the worst he has known in his 22 year involvement.

But he stressed he wasn’t panicking and said there were no plans to scrap a competition such as the Ayrshire Cup.

He claimed: “Clubs have no problems in playing four pre-season friendlies a week at the start of the season so if they have to do the same in the league they can’t moan.

“The season is due to end on the third Saturday in June. I can apply for anextension but I have never had to do that before.”