Kilwinning Rangers desperate to build on Auchinleck win with tough away days on the horizon

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Chris Strain reckons Kilwinning Rangers couldn’t have asked for a tougher start to 2022.The Buffs kick off the year away to Kirkintilloch Rob Roy tomorrow.It’s one of three away days on the horizon in January with trips to Glenafton and Hurlford either side of a home clash against Bonnyton.Strain insists he doesn’t want to look too far ahead as he tries to build on his side’s morale-boosting 1-0 win against Auchinleck before the festive break.But he’s also aware that coming through a difficult month with a healthy points total might just open some unexpected doors for his players.Kilwinning currently sit fourth in the table, 11 points behind leaders Pollok but with a game in hand.And Strain isn’t ready to give up on his side eating into that gap just yet – even though he admits it’s a tall order.He said: “We couldn’t have asked for a tougher start to the year but in my mind we are in a better place now than we were a few weeks before the break.“We’re perhaps just on the wrong side of things when it comes to the league but if we can get through January unscathed, you just don’t know what might happen from there.“A lot of teams will still be involved in cups by the time February comes round so things can change.

We just have to concentrate on what we need to do.”Strain expects the Rabs to provide stiff competition on Saturday and admits his side will need to hit the ground running after an extended festive break.The Buffs only returned to training this week with Strain giving his players extra time off amid a backdrop of rising covid cases in the area.“Covid is a factor just now but the boys have put their bodies on the line recently so a bit of extra time off won’t do any harm,” said Strain.“There might be a bit of