Ure: Bo'ness clash perfect way for Shire to start 2021

After drawing 1-1 on Tuesday night against fifth-placed Civil Service Strollers, Shire are in eighth place in the Scottish Lowland Football League on 36 points after 23 matches.

Ure admits his side have struggled for consistency this term, saying: “We’ve not been as good as we could have been, looking back on the year as a whole.

“Our goal is to be in the top four and at the moment we have fallen behind that.

“We are still with the pack at the top but we can’t afford to slip up.”

He added: “It’s been tough for every team but the situation at the moment has played havoc with squad selections and bringing in players.”

The sides’ reverse fixture in September saw six goals scored and six red cards shown in a 3-3 draw.

Ure said: “There were numerous decisions that were questionable on the day and I think the officiating cancelled out what could have been a decent game.

“For a neutral fan, it would have been a fun watch, but not for a manager.

“In my opinion, there wasn’t a bad tackle in the game.”

Looking ahead to their New Year Day’s match against Max Christie’s United side, Ure wants a calmer display from his players.

“Max will have his side set up to frustrate us and it is our job to play through it,” he said. “We have a young team filled with quality. They just need to show it on consistent basis.

“It is the perfect way to start the new year with a fixture like this for the fans.”