IRVINE MEADOW assistant manager Murdie McKinnon has derided pundits who have labelled the Ayrshire side as “soft touches” following last weekend’s 1-0 defeat in their Super Premier Division opener at home to Arthurlie.

Next up for the Medda is a daunting trip through to Glasgow later today to face Shettleston and Murdie is adamant his playing charges have the strength of character needed to put their first league points on the board.

He insisted: “Nobody was more disappointed than Stevie and I with the showing against Arthurlie, not least because we can have few complaints about the result and indeed the narrowness of the scoreline probably flattered us on the day.

“Daniel Tobin saved our necks twice in one-on-one first-half situations and overall we were far too open defensively and didn’t pose enough of a threat going forward.

“It should be said Arthurlie are no slouches but as a team and individually we could and should have done a whole lot better, but to say we are looking like pushovers on the basis of just 90 minutes is utter nonsense.”

Influential playmaker type Ryan Deas was away on holiday on top of central defenders Marc Twaddle and Jamie Darroch posted missing while Murdie has revealed former Dunfermline stopper Grant Evans, winger Liam Finnigan and top scorer Ross “Archie” McPherson played while less than fully fit against the Barrhead men.

He said: “Grant and Liam were no better than 75 per cent fit and severely limited in their movement while Archie, thinking he could play through a heavy knock to his foot received in the previous midweek game against Kilwinning Rangers, came back to haunt him.

“He was forced to come off after feeling severe discomfort and a subsequent trip to hospital on Saturday night ended up with him lacing up a ‘Moon Boot’ and facing up to six weeks on the sidelines with a broken metatarsal.

“He’ll be missed against Shettleston, however, by way of compensation, a number of the other guys are back in contention for jerseys this week.

“Stevie has made sure everyone is clear about the improvements we are looking for in the Shettleston game and I believe the high spirits at training this week show the players are in the right frame of mind to make amends.”

Similarly looking forward to the Greenfield Park locking of horns is Town boss Hugh Kelly, persisting with an argument that his side’s 2-0 league opener defeat by reigning champions Auchinleck Talbot was a travesty of justice.

HE insisted: “Talbot put us under the cosh as you might expect but we matched up well with them for the most part and were looking a good bet for at least a point until Ryan Francis made a crazy challenge inside the area to give away a penalty-kick and earn himself a red card.

“The manner of our defeat was all the more galling as we were ourselves denied two stonewall penalty-kicks that would have led to dismissals for Talbot players but the referee somehow deemed otherwise.

“The result put a dampener on our first experience of the Super Premier Division but spirits are good in the camp with everyone keen to put on a show in our first home game and try to pick up points from Medda.

“And it helps that we will most likely be strengthened by Ross Dickson and Jordan Dalzell coming back into contention for places after sitting out last week’s game.”

Meanwhile, an often-used adage that has long stood the test of time and says “the form book goes out the window in derby games” is being quoted freely by Arthurlie gaffer Robert Downs ahead of hosting the visit of arch foes Pollok today.

He recalled: “I’ve been on the losing side when rated firm favourites and came out as a winner when considered a blatant outsider so nobody need tell me about these derby clashes being impossible to call.

“The only definite is we are in confident mood after playing exceptionally well to beat Irvine Meadow – possibly the best 90-minute display turned in since Stevie and I came here – and in that respect it helped our cause no end to have every single Arthurlie player available for selection.

“Only big Gary Smith is unavailable this week however we have decent replacement options in Gary Carroll and Danny Burns who are champing at the bit to come in and partner Chris Dallas.”