ANY team wanting to aspire to the unparalleled levels of Junior football success enjoyed by Auchinleck Talbot down through the years has to be competitive.

Or to put another slant on it, unless you have the ball you can’t play and nobody but nobody has harnessed the ability of winning it back when they don’t than the guys wearing black and gold shirts.

Indeed if one were to be so bold as to put a near 30-year limit on looking back at the outstanding Bot sides developed by the great Willie Knox through to his current dugout successor and a manager fast acquiring the same legendary status, Tommy Sloan, they were all teams who worked harder as a unit than anyone else at striving to get the ball off opponents.

People can talk of the wonderful skills and passing abilities shown by such as Hughie Lyden, Bobby Dickson, Colin Spence and Bryan Young when in possession but they were and are among the best in working their socks off for the right to play.

And talk of the game having changed doesn’t stand up when one considers how little difference exists between aggressively closing down opposition teams in the 1980s and playing a high press nowadays .

This take on things is worth mentioning ahead of today’s Beechwood Park locking of horns between reigning Super Premier Division champions Talbot and the runners-up from last time out, Hurlford United.

The eagerly awaited Ayrshire clash is worthy of “game of the day “status not least because of the fascinating midfield match up of United’s playmaking duo David McLune and the busy Paul “Taz” McKenzie (someone capable of dribbling past defenders to create openings for others) against fit again Talbot talisman Stevie White Whitey is of a type to tackle everything that moves within his vision and his is a mindset that keeps things simple by putting the ball in behind defenders or just yielding it up to whosoever partners him in the engine room , be it Dwayne Hyslop , Young or the youthful Willie Boyd whose own energy and battling qualities make him every bit as adept at forcing opposition players to make hurried and misplaced passes.

Last night Bot boss Sloan admitted: "Hurlford have given us some of our toughest league tests in recent seasons and I don’t expect anything different tomorrow.

“Our games against them were decisive in terms of the league title however I do not envisage it being a two-horse race this time out.”

Ford gaffer Darren Henderson’s determination to address his side’s recent failings against Auchinleck…they lost both league outings last season… has led to him tweaking United’s formation to enable the more physical Danny Mitchell to operate as a ball winner in a five man midfield with Ryan Borris and James Creaney operating down the flanks.

But whether these measures can wrest control away from their rivals will only be decided in the heat of battle though bookmakers reckon the status quo will prevail seeing as they have made Talbot favourites to come out on top.

In other top flight head to heads, much improved Kilbirnie Ladeside are resigned to going without the ball winning abilities of stopper Michael O’Byrne when they arrive through in Glasgow to take on Petershill.

Blasties boss Stevie Swift revealed: "The big fellow went over on his ankle at training and is probably going to be posted missing for at least a couple of weeks and our only other non –starter is striker Kevin Turner whose own ankle problem has yet to clear up.

“Ciaron Donnelly is an able deputy at the back and our only selection poser is whether to reinstate Stevie Meechan who didn’t start last weekend’s cup game with Shettleston.”

In other top flight games, Arthurlie whose transfer listed front man Danny Burns is attracting interest from Shotts Bon Accord and Lanark United among others will be minus suspended defender Gavin Rushford for the visit of league leaders Rob Roy while Troon will be out to pick up the three points on offer at home to Shettleston to keep their title challenge alive.

And an unexpected basement encounter takes place at Loch Park where Glenafton await the visit of bottom markers Irvine Meadow whose need for points and a confidence building victory is all too obvious.

Highlight of the Central Second Division programme is the meeting of table-topping Lanark United and nearest challengers Port Glasgow at Moor Park where a sixth victory in eight starts for John Brogan’s unbeaten side could be highly significant even at this early stage of their league campaign.

Elsewhere, Annbank United host the visit of Vale of Clyde in a New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup first round tie that was abandoned with Annbank 3-2 ahead as a result of the horrific double leg break sustained by Tin Pail front man Gavin Ross.

The big striker was appreciative of the messages of support received from the Bankies players and is set to be in attendance for the played to a finish game that will decide who hosts the visit of Cambuslang Rangers in the Second Round next Saturday.