MARK McLENNAN reckons new-look Irvine Meadow’s season is ready for lift-off ahead of tonight’s derby clash at home to Irvine Vics.

The attack-minded full back, now in his third playing spell at Meadow Park despite being only 25, has never before figured on the losing side in the annual Marymass Festival clash and is out to inflict even more misery on near neighbours Vics.

The Medda are hoping to bounce back from a 1-0 midweek defeat to Darvel by getting the better of the derby.

And defensive ace McLennan, whose decision to walk away from Pollok during the close season and return for a second time was greatly influenced by co-management team Gareth Turner and Michael Wardrope, said: “I really hope my winning record against the Vics can remain intact for quite a while yet because we as a team need to give ourselves a shake and make amends for recent performances.

"They have been nothing short of embarrassing to everyone connected with the club.

“Yet to have beaten both Kilwinning Rangers and Hurlford United this season is an indication of how the players here are capable of raising their game when facing higher league teams and I think the better the opposition then the better we play.

“Unfortunately, the other side of the coin is we have let ourselves down badly by dropping points to teams we were expected to beat – losing to Darvel, drawing 1-1 with Ardeer last weekend, and worst of all going down 3-2 to Saltcoats Vics in our opening game where they only had three shots at goal yet scored each time.

“These disappointing results have left our qualification hopes dead in the water, so all we can do now is earn ourselves a measure of respectability by getting the better of Irvine Vics even if everyone accepts this will be anything but a formality.

“I’ve never known these derby matches to be anything but keenly contested and you can put the kettle on for red cards and penalty kicks controversy on the night however they also tend to be evenly matched affairs with maybe only one goal separating the teams at the final whistle.

“I don’t know a great deal about the Vics other than they were promoted from the Ayrshire District League last season and the only familiar player is their striker Kevin Adam who was on the books of St Mirren along with myself and Ben Carson as teenagers.

“His physicality can make him a real handful on his game and he is an out and out goalscorer into the bargain so we’ll need to guard against his threat.”

McLennan is delighted to be playing regularly again. He has figured in every minute of every Irvine Meadow game following a season and a bit at Newlandsfield where he made precious few starting appearances.

He added: “I’ve no hard feelings over how things panned out at Pollok but one of the major attractions in coming here was Gareth and Michael promising to give me game time and they have been true to their word up to now.

“I’m enjoying my football again and it’s encouraging to see the team slowly but surely taking shape after last season’s squad upped and left during the summer months to leave the managers and coach Neilly McGowan to rebuild from scratch.

“They’ve made a more than decent fist of it and their leaning towards signing a majority of Ayrshire based players has helped our fans identify with the team and our attendances are on the up.

“Greg Vernon has established himself as a favourite by banging in the goals and our latest signing Graham Boyd got away to a dream debut with a couple of goals in the 4-3 defeat of Hurlford.

“Teenage prospect Ben Black and Jarred Willet as well as Ben Carson have also caught the eye and we are maybe only a couple of bodies light from where Gareth and Michael want our squad to be.

“Our aim is to emerge as a promotion challenger but not killing teams off in games where we have dominated is a concern because I would expect a lot of Super First Division teams to sit in and put men behind the ball particularly when coming to Meadow Park.

“Next weekend we kickstart our league campaign at home to title favourites Clydebank and it’s looking like Petershill and Shettleston will be there or thereabouts so we cannot afford to take anything for granted.

“As you might expect, expectations among our supporters are high but we need their backing and most of all their patience while the new management team and players are finding their feet.

“If that happens then I’ll make no predictions other than to say Irvine Meadow will go back up and the only question left unanswered is when.”