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VITAL work has been carried out by council chiefs to help ensure Ardeer Thistle's home fixtures can go on after flooding problems forced postponements.

Saturday's scheduled West of Scotland Cup clash with Greenock was the latest to be called off owing to excess water in the home goalmouth.

Thistle secretary Peter McBlain said on Sunday: "We have been five weeks without a game and have had a home game put off three times, the players have not been happy and are sick of just training."

However on Tuesday North Ayrshire Council started work on the park.

McBlain said: "I thought there was a burst pipe. But the water accumulated due to heavy rain which has taken its toll on the park. The Council came along to the park on Tuesday morning and the home goalmouth has already been dug out and is ready to be re-turfed. I am really pleased and hopefully the problems will be cured."

"Hopefully that means we can play some more games, we play Lugar on Saturday and the next week are home to Winton Rovers, hopefully everything will be fine by then. It's good something has been done so quickly and thanks to the Herald for taking up the matter."

A North Ayrshire Leisure spokesman said: “We were recently contacted by members of the committee from Ardeer Thistle regarding concerns about their pitch. All pitch maintenance is carried out by North Ayrshire Council’s Street Scene department who will look to find a solution to any of their problems.”