Celtic B vs Albion Rovers
Albion Rovers are consistent, they’ve got three wins out of five, and are firing on all cylinders up front. Friday night in Airdrie won’t be an easy test of their credentials by any stretch, but they will be looking to avenge a 2-0 loss last time out against Berwick Rangers and will be hoping that Peter Mendy can continue his fantastic run of recent form.
Hearts B vs Broxburn Athletic
Friday night also sees Broxburn Athletic travel to Ainslie Park to take on Hearts B. The Brox have suffered a bit of a dip in form recently, characterised by a 4-0 loss at home to Clydebank in the South Challenge Cup.
They’ll be hoping to get back to winning ways on the road on Friday night.
Berwick Rangers vs Cowdenbeath
Our Neutral’s Pick this weekend is two former SPFL sides who are eager to pick up points to ensure that a relegation battle doesn’t become an issue.
Berwick picked up their first win in six matches last time out against Albion Rovers, while Cowdenbeath are on a run of six matches without a win which has seen them drop into third bottom in the division with only two points separating them from Cumbernauld Colts and Gala Fairydean Rovers.
Bo’ness United vs East Kilbride
Bo’ness United are going about this season with the energy of a team who will be comfortably in the top half come the end. Solid, but unspectactular, they have three draws in their last five games and will be acutely aware of the job they have on their hands when free-scoring East Kilbride come to Newtown Park on Saturday.
East Kilbride are fresh from a 7-0 demolition of Blackburn United in the South Challenge Cup and Bo’ness United exited the competition losing their Scottish Cup warm up match with Musselburgh Athletic in extra time.
East Stirlingshire vs Civil Service Strollers
Four wins and a draw in their last five? Comfortably in tenth place in the table after being in the drop zone for months? Don’t make me tap the sign, Shire fans!
This match is a face-off between 10th and 9th in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League and it will likely be a closely contested affair. Civil Service Strollers have lost their last two matches but will be aiming to turn things around and get back on a winning run. This match is definitely one to watch!
Gala Fairydean Rovers vs Gretna 2008
Gala Fairydean Rovers currently sit at the foot of the Lowland League table but they can feel hard done by after a series of impressive performances where the final score just hasn’t gone their way.
Gretna 2008 are the visitors this weekend and are hoving into Rovers’ sights after a strong start to the season has seen its momentum arrested in recent times with three losses in their last five. There’s plenty at stake in this one, and it will be intriguing to see where the three points end up at 5pm on Saturday!
Linlithgow Rose vs Cumbernauld Colts
Linlithgow Rose welcome Cumbernauld Colts to Prestonfield at the weekend with a chance to leap as high as second in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League if everything goes their way.
They’ve enjoyed a mixed run in recent weeks but that’s in sharp contrast to Cumbernauld Colts whose current run of collapse is one of the stories of the Lowland League season so far. They’ve gone from a strong start to joint-bottom of the table having lost four of their last five games and are without a win in the league since August.
Linlithgow Rose will be expecting this one to be fairly straightforward, but new Colts interim manager Craig Malcolm has had a couple of weeks to put his brand on the young Colts. Anything could happen!
Tranent vs Caledonian Braves
This match would be our Neutral’s Pick if it wasn’t for the fact that Tranent were in the last one! 3rd vs 2nd. Both sides have a chance to end the weekend at the top of the league.
Need I say more? This one has the potential to be a cracker.
University of Stirling vs Broomhill
Two of the league’s most inconsistent sides meet on Saturday with a chance to boost their prospects for the season. Broomhill are on a run of two wins, which will have filled them with confidence going into this one, while University of Stirling sit in 11th in the league having won last time out against Civil Service Strollers.
This one is tough to call (thankfully I don’t have to!) but those banking on a draw could be well-served at Forthbank.
