ARDROSSAN Winton Rovers are bringing competitive floodlit football back to Winton Park.
On Friday, January 13, Gavin Friels’ side will welcome Dalry Thistle to Winton Park for a 7.30pm kick off.
It is the first time in over three years that a match will be played under the lights in Ardrossan.
Their last match under floodlights was played back in 2019 – when Lesmahagow visited Winton Park for a West of Scotland Cup tie.
That night, Winton emerged victorious, winning 7-6 on penalties after an entertaining 2-2 draw.
It will also be the first comeptitive league match played under their floodlights in over half a decade, with the last being a 2-0 win against local rivals Ardeer Thistle in the old Ayrshire District League.
A crowd of circa 300 turned out for that match, and Winton chairman Pat Breen is hoping to see similar this time round – with only one other match taking place in Ayrshire that night, with Kilwinning Rangers taking on Darvel at Buffs Park.
The chariman also informed the Herald that improvements have been made to the lights since these previous matches.
Winton will be looking to replicate their previous ‘floodlight form’ on Friday, as they continue to battle it out to win the WoSFL Third Division title.
They currently sit top of the league, four points clear of second place Lanark United.
A win against manager Gavin Friels’ former side Dalry would take them seven clear ahead of Saturday’s matches – though they will have played as many as six matches more than some sides below them.
While a win for Dalry would see them put themselves right back in the promotion mix after an inconsistent start to the season.
For the latest updates on Friday’s match, be sure to check @Winton_Rovers on Twitter.
