IT is one of Auchinleck Talbot’s great strengths that so many teams come away from playing them in the Scottish Junior Cup wondering how they have lost.

It happens far too often to come down to just luck and long-serving Talbot No 2 Alan McLuckie believes it is all down to keeping things uncomplicated.

The 51-year-old was a team-mate of gaffer Tommy Sloan at Annbank United in their early days and played alongside him in the 
all-conquering Kilwinning Rangers side of 1999 that ran out 1-0 Junior Cup winners over Kelty Hearts.

He was the man ‘Tucker’ turned to when former Talbot coach Ian Jardine accepted a post at Senior level and Alan has remained at his friend’s side throughout 14 silver-laden seasons and a remarkable eight Scottish Cup final appearances …five of them as a winner.

He said: “Tommy approached me when I was playing with Troon under Chris Strain and I agreed to come on board but only when the season ended and that created its own difficulties because Chris was offered the Irvine Meadow job and wanted me as part of his backroom team.

“But I had given my word to Tommy and I have never regretted joined him at Beechwood Park, going on a journey that all these years later does not look like ending.” 

So what is the magic formula that the partnership discovered that has them on the cusp of a history-making feat as the first management team to put six Scottish Cup wins beside their name?

“It’s not rocket science,” said McLuckie, before adding: “You need good foundations and we have it here in a strong supporting base and a group of extraordinary hard working officials who are forever working behind the scenes and to my mind they are the club.

“You also need good players but Tommy and I do not infuse them with a special ingredient other than to keep things simple and let new signings become accustomed to the atmosphere here at Auchinleck.

“Invariably those players perform to their best in the surroundings and they never lose their love of the place as you see most weeks when there are swathes of former players on the terraces taking in games.

“You just never see the same happening at any other Junior club.”
Of Sunday’s showpiece McLuckie says he is worried about the number of games his players are facing in a congested end of season.

He said: “What this group of Talbot players has achieved this season has been exceptional when you think we are still in with a chance of winning every trophy in the game.

“Unfortunately the fixture schedule is not helping us in trying to achieve that aim so Tucker and I are asking the guys to concentrate on one game at a time and see where it gets us.

“Hurlford are a team packed with experienced players who are capable of playing passes on the wide open Rugby Park surface and our own guys need to turn up and play as they can if we are to have any chance of winning.

“With other players you might be able to motivate them by saying this is a once in a lifetime opportunity however I fancy the trick might be getting it into their heads that Sunday’s final might be their last ?

“Now wouldn’t you get long odds on that being the case?”