TONY McINALLY would love his Pollok players to take their frustrations out on Troon in tomorrow’s Super Premier Division curtain raiser.

Last season’s Super First Division champions succumbed to their first defeat in midweek when exiting the Euroscot Eng League Cup on the back of a 2-1 quarter-final reverse at home to city rivals Petershill and Macca has identified a lack of killer instinct as the cause of his side’s downfall.

He insisted: “More often than not you will lose out against the top teams if you only score one goal after creating five or six clear-cut scoring opportunities.

“I was happy that we went about our business the right way and played some decent football but it grates that we came unstuck because of a crying need to be more clinical when the ball was in and around the Petershill penalty area.

“By comparison, they capitalised on defensive slackness to score twice from infinitely fewer openings and that’s a lesson we must learn quickly if we are to be competitive in the top flight this season.

“But nobody needs to tell my players that they weren’t at their best the other night and I hope they’ll be looking to rectify matters when Troon come visiting.”

The Lok boss is relishing tomorrow’s Newlandsfield tester against the unbeaten Ayrshiremen whom he afforded every due respect by despatching backroom team assistant Brian Sheldon to Portland Park on Wednesday night to run the rule over their impressive 2-1 Ardagh Glass last-eight victory over Glenafton.

Macca added: “Sheldy going there was a no-brainer as it was vital to update what we know about them both as individuals and as a team.

“They have a new management team in Gordon Burns alongside former Dundee United and Partick Thistle player Neil Duffy and their fresh approach certainly appears to be getting results out on the pitch.

“The likes of Ally Semple in goal and the trio of Gavin Collins, Dean Keenan and Colin Spence provide a hard core of experience and they don’t lack for legs either with a number of promising youngsters coming to the fore so their playing squad is up there with the best in the league.

“Tomorrow has all the makings of a very difficult game but everyone is looking forward to it.”

McInally, who is set to welcome back Gary Wild and Kevin Bradley, was effusive in his praise of ex-Vale of Clyde forward Derek Hepburn whose ability to go past opponents saw him emerge as one Pollok’s best players.

He said: “It’s hard not to be happy with Del who is a very skilful type and in the team on merit.”

The other two promoted teams Shettleston and Rob Roy are unlikely to find points easier to come by from daunting trips into the Ayrshire heartlands.

The Town will need to be at their battling best to take anything from their head to head against reigning Super Premier Division kingpins Auchinleck Talbot, particularly as Tommy Sloan’s men will be going all out to atone for their shock Ardagh Glass Cup elimination by Maybole.

Dominant stopper Mark Campbell, Willie Boyd, Bryan Young and Keir Milliken are tipped to return to Talbot’s starting line-up.

Rob Roy will put their unbeaten record on the line when visiting Loch Park where they emerged as 3-1 victors in a pre-season friendly joust that gaffer Stewart Maxwell insists has no bearing on tomorrow’s showdown.

Maxi insisted: “I fully expect Glenafton to be a different proposition, even more so after losing out to Troon on Wednesday night.

“You can bet they will raise their game and we need to match their fire ... or else.”

Meanwhile, Glenafton and Kilbirnie Ladeside were the only Super Premier clubs tasked with a Scottish Junior Cup first round tie (to be played September 26) following last night’s draw made at Hampden Park.

Most of the big guns were awarded byes and the Ayrshire duo are unlikely to encounter too many difficulties in facing Newmachar and Newburgh Athletic respectively.

A number of all West Region confrontations caught the eye with Bellshill Athletic hosting the visit of Wishaw, Port Glasgow await the visit of Benburb while strong going Kilwinning Rangers have an Abbey Park date with Ayrshire near neighbours Dalry Thistle.

The full draw is: Larkhall Thistle v Haddington Athletic, East Kilbride Thistle v Armadale; Inverness City v FC Stoneywood, Kilwinning Rangers v Dalry Thistle, Newmains v Fraserburgh Utd, Sunnybank v Yoker; Athletic, Stoneyburn v Dyce, Whitletts Vics v Lochgelly Albert, Glenafton v Newmachar, Hall Russell v Vale of Clyde, Montrose Roselea v Forfar Albion, Lochee Harp v Tayport, Banchory St Tiernans v Aberdeen East End, Buckie Rovers v Hill O’ Beath; Burghead Thistle v Kilsyth Rangers, Neilston v Dufftown; Bellshill Athletic v Wishaw; Port Glasgow v Benburb, Cumnock v Broughty Ath, Irvine Vics v Camelon, Maybole v Broxburn Athletic, Ardrossan Winton Rovers v Whitburn, Bridge of Don v Rosyth; Vale of Leven v Kennoway Hearts, Newtongrange Star v Edinburgh Utd, Newburgh v Kilbirnie Ladeside, Bonnyrigg Rose v Thorniewood Utd, Ardeer Thistle v West Calder Utd, Nairn St Ninian v Oakley, Crossgates Primrose v Lanark Utd.