ORMISTON Primrose boss Richie Weir is hoping for a change of fortune in 2024.

The New Recreation Park side have seen two of their last three games postponed.

And when their contest with Edinburgh United did kick off, it was abandoned with the East Lothian side leading 1-0 thanks to a Ben Maxwell effort.

Weir told Courier Sport: “It has been a stop-start month or so, especially with the abandoned game.

“With us winning at half-time, it was a bit of a kick in the teeth.

“We were well on top and I could not see us ever losing that game.

“It is hard to try to keep the guys ticking over.

“You go to training on the Tuesday and Thursday, building for the game on Saturday, and then it is off.

“Then, you are back in the following Tuesday.

“We know at this level there are going to be a lot of games cancelled.”

 

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Just two points separate Ormiston and Edinburgh United at the bottom of the East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) Second Division.

A victory for Weir’s men would have given them a much-needed boost and edged them towards safety.

It looked as if they were on their way to a vital victory on December 9 thanks to Maxwell’s header before the game was called off during the half-time interval.

The long-serving Ormiston manager said: “The referee had pulled me and the manager of Edinburgh United aside before the game.

“He said the pitch was doubtful but if the two teams wanted to play then we would play.

READ MORE: Football: Ormiston Primrose boss delighted at avoiding drop

“He wanted a bit of work done on the park, forking it to get surface water off, and it disappeared straight away.

“Come half-time, we are winning and the referee is not off the park and five or six from Edinburgh are around him wanting the game abandoned.

“For me, that was frustrating.

“He kind of admitted to me he got bullied into calling it off and there was no attempt to clear the pitch.

“At half-time, they had 15 minutes to clear the water and there was no attempt.”

Ormiston will be hoping to end the year on a high with a trip to the Whitestone Park, home of Peebles Rovers on Saturday, before beginning 2024 with another away game, this time at fellow relegation-threatened side Tweedmouth Rangers.

Weir was looking ahead to the games and the possibility of edging out of the bottom three.

He said: “[Tweedmouth’s recent win] put us bottom but we have just got to go out with the same attitude as the last few weeks and games. We know on our day we can match anybody on the pitch and give a good game.

“Peebles are on a wee bit of a run at the moment. It is always a tough one going there but Tweedmouth the week after is a chance for us to claw back points on the teams above us.”