Whitehill boss hopes free weekend pays off against Colts

Whitehill Welfare boss Steven Hislop believes his players needed the recent break afforded to them by having a free weekend ahead of tonight's home Lowland League fixture with Cumbernauld Colts.

Welfare have faced a gruelling weekend-midweek run of games as the season draws to a close after a raft of postponements earlier in the season.

“It is actually,” said Hislop when asked if the free week was a welcome one. “With the small squad we’ve got, the legs are heavy.”

Successive 3-2 and 5-2 wins over Glasgow University and Spartans respectively have seen the Rosewell club hit the goal trail. Three in two from wide man Stevie Manson has been a welcome development for Hislop, who has previously admitted the need to strengthen up top.

“No matter if you have a good strike-force or not, the midfielders have got to chip in,” he explained. “That’s part of their job as well. It’s good for Stevie – both his goals against Glasgow were him coming in at the back post and that’s what you want from your wide men.

It’ll give him a boost in confidence as well as I don’t think he’d scored for a while so it’s good to see him get a few.”

Spartans are also in action as they conclude their Ferrari Packaging Lowland League season away to Vale of Leithen. A win would all but secure second place for Dougie Samuel’s men ahead of Stirling University, who would need to win their remaining two fixtures and manage at least an eight-goal swing to snatch it on goal difference.