IT’S a case of deja-vu for Port Glasgow this week, as they once again look for a Friday thaw to give their match a chance of going ahead.

Parklea was hit with a wintry blast last midweek, but milder temperatures and some heavy rain last Friday cleared the snow in time to allow the Scottish Cup tie against Auchinleck Talbot to take place, below right.

With the surface again snowbound following Wednesday’s heavy fall, it’s another anxious wait to see if the conditions will relent.

But with little rain forecast for the Port Glasgow area for today, and the gauge set to rise no higher than four degrees, it might be down to the snow-clearing machine at Parklea to do its bit and hope there’s no ice underneath.

A postponement would be a disappointment for the Port’s ‘new boys’, ex-Greenock striker Jamie McKenna and returning midfielder Kevin McKay.

After featuring against East Kilbride in the league a fortnight ago, the pair were sidelined for the Talbot match through being cup-tied, so both are keen to get back into action tomorrow.

McKenna explained his surprise move from Greenock, after the Ravenscraig club first announced he was leaving, only to say a few weeks later that the 24-year-old was staying.

He said: “I just sensed that coming to the Port was the right thing to do. Martin Campbell at Greenock has got a big squad now, and it was going to be harder for me to fit in to his plans.

“I will get more game time at Port Glasgow, so it will be good to get back out and playing again.

“The boys here have been great — I know a few of them already as some stay in Greenock, so it’s not as if I am coming in to a completely new team.” Meanwhile, it’s a homecoming for former Port player McKay, after a spell at Largs Thistle was followed by a brief time at Greenock.

He said: “My work commitments through in Rosyth were making it difficult to commit to every training session at Greenock.

“I spoke to Bruno (Port manager Craig Brown) and he was willing to give me a bit of leeway with that.

“But I should be able to make at least one of the nights each week.

“I always felt I would come back to the Port at some point, and I hope to help the club get on a good run again, as I don’t think we are out of the promotion chase by any means.” If it goes ahead, tomorrow’s match will pose a considerable challenge to the Port in their bid to keep their promotion prospects alive.

Rossvale won 2-0 when the teams met in Glasgow in December, but it was a tight affair that was decided by two penalties.

But they come to Parklea as league leaders, with just one defeat all season giving them a four-point lead at the top of the table, as they aim to capture their first-ever league title.

And Rossvale have continued to strengthen their squad throughout the campaign, with former Port player Martin McGuire amongst their latest loan signings.

The defender has joined the Glasgow club from Albion Rovers, but Port boss Brown says McGuire was close to returning to Parklea.

Brown said: “I spoke to Martin and he was very keen to come back to us, as he really enjoyed his time here.

“We tried to get him on loan, but didn’t have the resources to finance the deal.” If tomorrow’s game goes ahead, the Port will again be without Kearn Docherty and Scott Nugent, both still struggling with long-term injuries.

Kick-off at Parklea is scheduled for 1.45pm.

Port Glasgow Juniors are sponsored by Regents Vehicle Sales, Greenock, and MAC HSL Ltd.