BINOS GO FOR MAX

Boss Rutkiewicz snaps up former Rangers kid

Stirling Albion have made former Rangers and Ross County midfielder Max Ashmore their first signing of the January transfer window.

The 20 year-old has agreed a deal until the end of the season after leaving Stranraer and will be in the squad against Annan Athletic at Forthbank tomorrow, although it would be a surprise if there were any changes to the team that started last week’s 1-0 win against leaders Edinburgh City.

Binos boss Kevin Rutkiewicz could finalise another signing ahead of the meeting with his former club and wants to do his transfer business as soon as possible.

Ashmore made nine appearances for Stranraer this season but the bulk of them came in the early part of the campaign and he has recently been training with the Binos.

Rutkiewicz said: “He’s a good footballer and he’s left-footed so I’m hoping that he’s going to bring a balance to the team. He provides competition for Danny Jardine, Dominic Docherty and Ronan Hughes and it will possibly release one of the others further up the park.

“I’m delighted to have him in and he was keen to come here. He’s a central midfielder and I’ve had a lot of good reports about him. He’s never really been afforded the chance but I am hoping to give him that opportunity – I know I’m getting someone who is hungry and someone who is bursting to play for Stirling Albion.

“The desire and the enthusiasm is there, which is a big tick, so hopefully he can translate what we have seen in training on to the park. He’s been in with us for six or seven sessions so a big thanks to Stevie Farrell at Stranraer for sorting that – it was a good gesture from him.” A win over Annan tomorrow would move Stirling to within four points of the play-off spots but Rutkiewicz insists he isn’t looking that far ahead. He said: “We want to win the game, that is the total focus. The playoffs are not something I’ve even thought about. I was delighted we moved up a place in the table by beating Edinburgh City and we want to make it three wins in a row.”

Andy Murray faces a stiff test in his opening Australian Open match next week.The 31-year-old Dunblane ace is back in Melbourne after missing last year’s tournament following hip surgery.Now ranked 230 in the world having missed most of the year, Murray has been drawn against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, world No. 23 and seeded 22 in Oz.His opponent goes into the tournament having won the Qatar Open last week, Old pals Kevin Rutkiewicz will be hoping to get the better of former colleague Peter Murphy tomorrow defeating Novak Djokovic on the way to the final.Murray also faced the world No.1 this week in a practice match, winning just two games before they called it a day at 6-1-4-1 because another match was booked to follow them.He has lost four times to Djokovic in Australian Open finals and once to Roger Federer.In matches against Bautista Agut, however, he boasts a 100 per cent record with three wins out of three – without dropping a set – with victories in the last 32 at Wimbledon in 2014 and at Munich in 2015. In 2016 he defeated the Spaniard in the Shanghai Masters final. Pals having a hit Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic before practice in Melbourne Ashmore A midfielder