Team boss John McKeown would love to smash Cumnock’s 87-year- long New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup jinx.

Arch-rivals Auchinleck Talbot have plundered the trophy 11 times – their last success coming via a 2-0 Final victory over Troon in the season before last.

But the Nock have never yet managed to get hands on the coveted silverware during their own illustrious history.

His overseeing of the Townhead Park side’s relegation to the Super First Division last time out did not go down well with Cumnock’s diehard supporters.

And there was pressure mounting on him when his players were slow to get into their stride at the start of this season and suffered some indifferent results.

But winning seven games on the bounce has all but silenced Ruggy’s doubters and now he finds himself having to manage the rising expectations of those same devoted fans who are harbouring dreams of a League and Cup double.

Born and bred Ru’Glonian John said: “Twelve or thirteen new players were always going to take time to settle into their new surroundings and neither myself or my backroom team of Martin Devlin and Kieron McGuinness allowed a few early defeats to get us down.

“We always felt things would be turned around and worked our socks off to achieve this end.

"So it comes as a major relief and a delight to see the many smiles on our supporters faces coming to our games on a Saturday.

“And it’s not for me to rein in their dreams for Cumnock but talk of winning major honours is way too premature, not least because there is a fair leeway still to make up on the leading clubs in the league table right now before we can seriously consider ourselves to be title challengers.

“Obviously the Scottish Junior Cup is the big one, but it’s a huge ask to try win it while the team is emerging from a significant rebuilding stage.

"But I would gladly accept the West Cup as a consolation particularly as it would please me no end to be the manager here when Cumnock eventually bury that hoodoo.”

Playing their home games out of the Rosebank Stadium in Lugar does not appear to have unduly affected McKeown’s playing charges even though a number of injury woes have beset his playing squad in recent weeks.

He added: "To pick up three points last weekend against Rutherglen Glencairn despite being without Paul Murphy, James Lundie, Paul Burns, Owen Ronald and Kieron Downs is no mean achievement.

“The pairing of Murphy and Lundie in central defence has given us a solid rearguard while Burns has stepped up to the plate and is back to his best and nicking a fair share of goals of late to go along with a decent scoring contribution from Aidan Malone.

“Unfortunately, the ankle ligament injury suffered by Murphy has still not cleared up and it’s looking like he will again be posted missing in tomorrow’s West tie with Rossvale, which promises to be a game made for someone with his defensive qualities. However, I am hopeful of getting some of the others back.

“Rossvale might be a division below us but they are a well-run club with decent attack minded players and we simply cannot afford to treat them lightly.

McKeown and Vale gaffer Martin Lauchlan are former Dumbarton team-mates and it was Ruggy who gave his adversary a leg up into the Junior ranks through bringing him on board as a backroom team coach at Wishaw.

The Cumnock boss revealed: "I think many of our supporters felt it was a favourable draw when we came out with Rossvale.

"But they are nobody’s mugs and Locky has them playing with a lot of confidence so a big performance is needed from us …or else.”

One-time Partick Thistle midfielder Lauchlan has warned the Ayrshire big guns they won’t get it easy.

He said: “Big John is one of the game’s top blokes and I hate the thought of putting one over on him but our friendship has to be out to one side for 90 minutes.

“Cumnock will rightly start favourites but not playing at their own home ground might actually work in our favour and every single Rossvale player will be up for it as the guys are happy to be taking a break from chasing league points.

A lot of focus will centre on Greenock’s meeting with an Auchinleck side forced into a defensive reshuffle following the career ending injury sustained by stopper Mark Campbell in last weekend’s clash with Hurlford United.

Bot gaffer Tommy Sloan may opt to pull Steven White into a central defensive role or he might introduce James Latta at full-back and push Willie Lyle inside.

"However, it’s not thought a new signing might be paraded even though whispers reckon Sparky’s younger sibling Martin (currently at Ayr United) might be on Tucker’s radar.

Another sure-to-be-hotly contested West showdown has Glenafton taking to the road to face top-flight rivals Kilbirnie Ladside, who this week surprisingly announced a willingness to listen to offers for out-of-favour duo Simon Marriot and striking prospect Graham Boyd, said to be a signing target of Glens boss Craig McEwan earlier this season.