FIRED-up Chris Strain Snr hopes to put a damper on his son’s birthday celebrations as their rival clubs clash in today's promotion showdown.

The Winton Rovers manager goes head-to-head with Kilwinning Rangers co-boss Chris Strain Jnr at Abbey Park in a game which could have a major bearing on the destiny of the Ayrshire District League title.

But the Ardrossan club have been dealt a major setback ahead of the showdown, as key midfielder Gareth Turner, who suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 4-0 win against Saltcoats Victoria, could miss the rest of the season.

Strain quipped: “It will be Christopher’s 34th birthday on Saturday and of course I will be giving him a present as usual but hopefully he might get a consolation prize if we can win the game.” He knows the importance of the game but feels the pressure is more on Buffs and said: “We will go into the game looking to win it as we would draw level on points with Kilwinning but with a game in hand. A draw would probably suit both clubs but if Kilwinning lost they still have to play Lugar who are not out of it yet. The game will not decide anything and it’s disappointing it wasn’t kept until the end of the season. A win would give us a massive boost and put us in a very strong position but it won’t decide anything,” On Turner he said: “The tendon came off Gareth’s shoulder after a tackle and it’s a sore one. He could be out for two to three months which is a real blow as he is an important player.” Meanwhile Winton goalie Michael Wardrope has high hopes of victory and feels his side are well placed to win the game, The 38-year-old, who won the league with Strain at Irvine Meadow told Sportscene: “We are looking to win the match. I would say the experience we have in our side with the likes of Ian Cashmore and Billy Gilmour will help, whereas Kilwinning have a younger team. Of course we want to win the league but the top priority is promotion. It’s great working with Chris Strain, John McColl and George Watt as they have worked at the top level. We are on a great run, unbeaten in 20 games now and want to keep it going.” Meanwhile determined Buffs co-boss Colin Stewart is urging his team to “finish the job” and secure the District League title as they gear up for their biggest game of the season.

Leaders Buffs set themselves up for Saturday’s hotly anticipated promotion showdown with second-placed Ardrossan Winton Rovers at Abbey Park by hammering Darvel 7-1.

Stewart was impressed with his team’s battling qualities and said: “I was delighted with our performance against Darvel, it was a great team effort. We recovered quickly after conceding a goal and never looked back after that. Darvel are one of the better sides in the league and we dominated the match.” While insisting he is taking it a game at a time, Stewart now sees the bigger picture and knows his team’s fate is in their own hands.

He said: “If we win three more games, we win the league and that is our target, We want to finish the job as our aim is to play at the highest level. But first and foremost we have to make sure we achieve promotion and will do that with two more victories.

“Winton beat us earlier in the season but we had Chris McGowan sent off and had a few players missing. We are looking to make amends for that and win the match.” For the full story see this week's Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald.