Hurlford and Pollok are set for a clash of the titans over two legs after being drawn against each other in the ETHXEnergy Scottish Junior Cup. The Super Premier rivals have already met twice on league business this season with the Ayrshiremen holding the upper hand by virtue of running out 2-1 winners on their own Blair Park turf and then drawing 1-1 on their visit to Newlandsfield .

A repeat of those same scorelines would be warmly welcomed by United gaffer Darren Henderson who felt his side had landed yet another tough tie.

He said: “Nobody can accuse us of getting it easy with reigning Cup holders Auchinleck Talbot in the last round and now the Super Premier league leaders .

“Tony McInally has recruited well to restore Pollok as a major force in the Juniors again and our previous meetings this season have been close to call and I don’t envisage our Scottish Cup contests to be any different .

“It was 2-1 at Blair Park thanks to a last minute Danny Mitchell goal and even tighter at their place where a share of the spoils was the least Pollok deserved on the day.”

Lok boss Macca insisted ,”Hurlford are one of the game’s top teams and we respect them but don’t fear them .”

Kilwinning supporters will be relishing the head to head with Beith not least because the Buffs hold something of a hoodoo sign over their near neighbours having triumphed 1-0 at Bellsdale Park in a Scottish Third Round tie last season and for good measure they also eliminated the Mighty from the New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup on a 3-1 scoreline .

And earlier this season Chris Strain’s men racked up a third consecutive Cup win with a 3-1 Ardagh Glass victory however the Buffs supremo insists he will be taking nothing for granted.

He said , “ Going into the hat along with three Super Premier outfits meant we were always going to be up against a tough opponent and I’m pretty sure Beith will be delighted to have come out with us.

“Our recent record against them is decent but the Scottish Cup is all about who plays best on the day and our guys have to bear that in mind.”

Murdie McKinnon is confident his new look Blantyre Vics side have enough streetwise savvy to escape the Super First Division relegation trapdoor.

A glance at the current state of affairs makes it difficult not to believe bottom markers Bellshill Athletic and Maybole are as good as destined for the drop which leaves up to eight clubs , including fifth from bottom placed Vics ,contemplating a nervy run-in to their league campaigns .

Last weekend brought McKinnon his first defeat since assuming the Castle Park hotseat at the turn of the year yet earlier today he looked back with a smile on the 3-1 reverse away to tabletoppers Largs Thistle that also marked the debuts of new signings Chris Craig and Darren McLean from Petershill.

Said the team boss, “Both newcomers were excellent, the overall team display was excellent and there were so many positives but unfortunately no points.

And it says everything that Largs manager Bryan Slaven said afterwards that he was delighted to hear the final whistle as we’d given his side one of their most difficult matches and I think serving up that same level of performance against the vast majority of Super First sides will see us pick up more points than we’ll lose.

“We were 1-0 ahead and should have doubled our advantage at the very least given the chances we created but as so often happens we let Largs back into things when slack marking allowed James Marks to level matters with a headed goal.

“Things went from bad to worse in the second half when we were at sixes and sevens defensively and conceded two more goals after an injury forced 19 year old Lee Foggin(on loan from Cumbernauld Colts) to come off.

“ We then rallied in the later stages and I was disappointed to come away with nothing for our efforts but more than happy with the signs of progress out on the pitch and there’s no doubt in my mind that playing standards are on the up yet without any loss of the battling qualities that have typified Blantyre Vics sides in recent times.”

The Vics boss considers the acquisitions of Craig and McLean to be a feather in the cap of his Lanarkshire club given the transfer interest shown in their availability .

He added , “Getting in two players of their stature makes a statement about Blantyre’s ambitions as well as making the competition for jerseys that bit more intense and there is a real strength in depth to our playing squad.

“Mark Thomson’s appearance as a substitute last Saturday was his first game under my management and he is yet another top notch Junior who should be aspiring to play at a higher level.

“He will come into our thoughts for this week’s head to head with another of the relegation threatened clubs Yoker as indeed will Scott Davidson who comes back into the reckoning for a striking jersey after serving a two match suspension.

“ I’m expecting a hard game going through there as Yoker are never less than extremely tough opponents in front of their own fans and we will have to play some in order to get over last week’s disappointment .”