STRANRAER or NEWTON STEWART v ST CUTHBERT WANDERERS WITH 69 matches now having been postponed so far this season and players itching for action, it is hoped that the winter weather gives up its hold on the region to allow competitive football to go ahead this weekend. The main match is the League Cup Final which will involve St Cuthbert Wanderers against the winner of Wednesday night’s semi-final at Stair Park between Stranraer and Newton Stewart, cancelled for the fourth time last Saturday. On current form, the Kirkcudbright side will go into the final as favourites to lift the silverware no matter what opposition they are up against but in a cup competition anything can happen and with home advantage either Stranraer or Newton Stewart are more than capable of pulling off a positive result. Saints are in a well placed third position in the league and are still in with a chance of the title whereas both their potential opponents are struggling to find consistency. Nevertheless, this should be a good contest which could well go close and should be one to savour for the supporters of both the finalists. THREAVE ROVERS v NITHSDALE WANDERERS In the South of Scotland league Threave Rovers have the opportunity to close the six point gap at the top between themselves and Dalbeattie Star when they entertain Nithsdale Wanderers at Meadow Park. The two sides are at opposite ends of the table but although Nithsdale are stronger as they were earlier in the season, it would be a shock result if they managed to take anything from this fixture. Threave have only had one outing since before Christmas and that was a Tweedie Cup semi-final 4-3 victory over St Cuthbert Wanderers at Meadow Park two weeks ago. However, the players have been training regularly and although Manager Dave McVitie is without a few of his main players through injury, the Castle Douglas side should be too strong for their visitors from Sanquhar. With Dalbeattie Star having a free Saturday, this game gives Threave the opportunity to go within three points of Dalbeattie with a game still in hand and also a chance to close the 13 goal difference between the two title challengers. CRICHTON v CREETOWN Creetown will be on a high after coming close last Saturday in their 4-3 defeat at the hands of Wigtown and Bladnoch when they travel to Hospital Park to play Crichton this weekend. The home side will see this match as an opportunity to keep themselves up among the top six challengers but will have to be at their best to see off a plucky and never-say-die Creetown. Crichton will start as favourites but if the visitors play in the manner they produced in last Saturday’s second half then they are more than capable of pulling off a shock result. FLEET STAR v WIGTOWN and BLADNOCH Wigtown and Bladnoch play Fleet Star at Garries Park this Saturday and the bottom placed Gatehouse side will have their work cut out to produce any kind of positive result from this contest. Wigtown, who now hold third place in the table following their win over Creetown, will start as strong favourites to take the three points, mainly through the goal threat they hold up front by the recent acquisition of prolific striker Allen Murdoch from Stranraer. With Murdoch and Robert Jamieson as a striking duo, Wigtown arguably may now have the most potent strike force in South football and the Star defence will do well to keep these two off the score sheet. HESTON ROVERS v MID-ANNANDALE Heston Rovers play hosts to Mid-Annandale at Glencaple for a match which will be the home sides first since before Christmas. Two points separate the teams, with Heston on 14 points from 12 matches and Mids on the 12 point mark from 15 outings. Three points for the Lockerbie side would see them leap frog the home side in the league table and having a recent game under their belts against Newton Stewart, which they won by three goals to nil, Mids will go into this game as favourites to take the three points. Heston will be keen to get back on track following a good start to the season and will not take defeat lying down, so this match could well go close with a share of the points being a possibility. STRANRAER or NEWTON STEWART v ABBEY VALE Fifth placed Abbey Vale will play either Newton Stewart or Stranraer depending on the outcome of the League Cup semi-final and will fancy their chances of defeating either of them. Vale are a very good solid outfit who on their day are capable of mixing it with any of the South teams and, although they have played the most games in the league, they are worthy of their lofty position and they could well find themselves finishing the season in the top three or four. | 
