All the info ahead of Saturday's WOSFL Premier Division clash against Largs Thistle.

The Match:
On Saturday, we travel to Barrfields Stadium in Largs, where we'll play our first Premier Division match in over 20 years following last season's promotion. The match kicks off at 14:00 on Saturday 27th July. We will be taking a supporters bus, see below for details.

Form:
Whilst you can't read too much into pre-season results, we do start the season having come through pre-season unbeaten against a mix of teams from higher and lower divisions, and winning does breed confidence. That said, we're playing in a higher division this season, and we'll be expecting a tough game on Saturday.
We spoke to Burgh manager Murdo MacKinnon this week to get his take. "Everybody's excited to get the league started and the competitive action underway. It'll be a really tough start travelling away to Largs, they're a good side and well organised so we know we're in for a tough game but we're looking forward to going down there and trying to win the game." When asked about the mood in the camp, he said "the morale around the squad is excellent. We've got a really good dressing room, a lot of professionals who want to work hard and do well for the club and for each other. Pre season's allowed us to do more gelling, and we were overnight away last week so the boys spent a large amount of time together, which is great. I know this division really well, and how competitive it is and cut-throat. And this season looks like it's going to be really really competitive and a really strong league so it's important to have a good dressing room and have the morale and mood positive, and we're in that situation". And when asked about being able to put his own stamp on the squad and how well the players have gelled in pre-season, Murdo said "I'm really grateful the club have given me the opportunity to go and put my own stamp on this squad and bring in key players in key areas of the pitch that we felt we had to strengthen. I've been fortunate enough to go and strengthen and, not just add numbers, but add real quality. The talent we have, the boys we're bringing in, they're winners and they've won big trophies over the last few years and hopefully they'll help us to do the same. Overall, really happy with how quickly they've gelled together and we've seen that in pre-season with some of the performances, but there's room for improvement but we're really happy with how things have come together going into the game on Saturday"

Our Opponents:
Like ourselves, Largs Thistle come into this game with an unbeaten pre-season against teams from higher and lower divisions so they'll be feeling confident coming into this. Plus, they have the bragging rights, having beaten us twice last season, once in pre-season as well as knocking us out of the West of Scotland Cup.
Earlier this week, www.johnstoneburghfc.com spoke to Largs Thistle chairman Al McMaster to preview the match. Speaking about expectations ahead of the match, he said "All games are the same to us - must win but we don't set expectations" and that their goals for the season are "to do our best, compete and finish as high in the league (and go as far in cups ) as we can". He was also full of praise for the squad they've assembled, and whilst he didn't name any particular danger-man, he did state "we have a very youthful, competitive squad and everyone pulls their weight".

Previous Meeting:
Largs Thistle 2-0 Johnstone Burgh. Our last meeting was at Barrfields Stadium on a freezing cold November day last season in the West of Scotland Cup. It was a truly sub-par performance from The Burgh, with the hosts racing into the lead inside five minutes. Largs were the better side all day long, rarely troubled by The Burgh before they doubled their lead in the 64th minute, and saw the game out for a comfortable victory.

Getting There:
By Train: The nearest train station is Largs, which is served by direct trains from Glasgow Central (via Johnstone). The station is about a 15 minute walk to the ground.
By Car: Barrfields Stadium is approx 35-40 mins drive from Johnstone. Post code is KA30 8NP. Street parking is available in the surrounding area, however please mindful of local residents and take care not to block driveways or access to properties.
Supporters Bus: The Burgh are running a supporters bus for Saturday's match, which leaves Keanie Park at 12:45. We still have seats remaining. To book your seat, contact Vic on 07826 850856 or Scott on 07540 498905.

Officials:
The referee on Saturday is Kieran Trayner. He will be assisted by Lewis Sinclair and Matthew Denne.

Admission:
Adults £9. Concessions £6. U16's (accompanied by an adult) Free.

Can't Make It?
If you can't make it to the game, you can follow live updates on Facebook, X and WhatsApp.

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