Johnstone Burgh manager Jamie McKim has some new players on his Christmas wishlist as he gears up for the second half of the season.

The Keanie Park side are in a promising position in the First Division, occupying one of the promotion spots after 14 games.

McKim started getting ready for January earlier this month when Blair Richardson and Coby O’Brien returned to their parent clubs after spending time at Burgh on loan.

He insists he is satisfied with the options he currently has at his disposal but is keen to create more competition for places in the starting line-up.

McKim told Gazette Sport: “You’re always looking to improve and strengthen your squad. If you want to be competitive, you can’t stand still.

“The boys that came in on loan probably didn’t play as much as they had hoped or we had hoped, so we let them go back to their parent clubs and get the game time they need in the second half of the season.

“It creates a couple of spaces for us in the squad as well and we will look to add.

“We’ve had a couple of approaches to different players, so hopefully one or two can come off.

“There are areas in the squad where I think we need a bit more competition. I think we’ve got a really strong squad just now but I would like to see it even stronger across defence, midfield and attack.

“I would like to think that, when we go into the new year, we’ll be two or three players stronger.”

It has been a frustrating end to 2022 for most clubs across the country, with the weather resulting in just about every game in the West of Scotland Football League being postponed over the last two weekends.

Burgh’s fixtures against Auchinleck Talbot and Drumchapel United were among those to fall victim to the big freeze.

However, McKim aims to end the year on a high as his team hosts Bonnyton Thistle on Hogmanay.

Burgh picked up all three points when the teams met on the opening day of the season but McKim reckons the Ayrshire outfit are now a tougher test.

“They were always going to improve,” he said. “It wasn’t as if it was an easy game through there, even though we won. They are well organised and carry a threat.”

Kick-off at Keanie Park on Hogmanay is scheduled for 1.30pm.