It’s surely more than a tad ironic that the chance to compete for silverware prizes convinced Danny Boyle to swap Kirkintilloch for Auchinleck .

That’s because his former club Rob Roy won their first cup final in 43 years last weekend when taking the Exsel Group Cup honours with a dramatic penalty kicks shoot-out win over Shettleston.

The big defender looked on from the Somervell Park terracings hardly able to contain his delight yet content within himself from knowing the transfer deal he penned to join Auchinleck Talbot during the summer months is about to be rewarded with his own day in the spotlight when the West Region kingpins square up to rivals Kilbirnie Ladeside in the Ardagh Glass Cup Final on Sunday afternoon.

Boyle said: "Of course I was pleased to see my former team-mates coming good in their final, but you can take it as read that I’ll be doubly delighted if Auchinleck can run out winners on Sunday .

“A major factor in me coming to Beechwood Park was to figure in the hunt for Junior football’s top prizes, so it really is the stuff dreams are made of to be preparing for a first cup final just nine weeks into the new season.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster start with some decent performances overshadowed by back to back defeats from Beith and Glenafton which represented a mini-crisis for a club of Auchinleck’s standing.

"But hopefully getting our hands on the first trophy up for grabs will put the smiles back on supporters faces.

“I’ve already learned in my short time here that Auchinleck doing well means everything to them and they will be there in force on Sunday backing us to the hilt.

“The many trophy successes down through the years means expectations are high so here’s hoping we can live up to them.”

Memories of losing out twice against Kilbirnie in Super Premier Division encounters last season has Talbot gaffer Tommy Sloan expecting a high intensity clash .

He said: "They might feel fairly confident of turning us over again, but my players are coming off the back of a couple of victories - and crucially two clean sheets.

"So we’re in a far better frame of mind than before even if there remains room for improvement .

“We’ve got ourselves back on track by showing determination and hard graft rather than the quality we possess but that will come.

“Preparations for the final have gone reasonably well, but unfortunately our team captain James Latta suffered a re-occurrence of his shoulder injury after returning to training this week and is now looking at another 2/3 weeks on the sidelines .

“He’s a definite non-starter and we’ll also need to look at Steven White, who has been working down at Berwick and has missed training all week however it helps that Whitey is a naturally fit guy.

“Otherwise everyone is fit and raring to go and it is a major boost that the likes of Graham Wilson has hit a bit of form while Mark Shankland is getting back to full fitness following a ligament injury and scored a cracker of a goal coming off the bench against Cumnock last week.

“Being perfectly honest, I don’t know my starting team at this stage but it certainly helps having so many more options to choose from.”

Blasties strikers Martin Grehan and Adam Forde were pinpointed by Tucker in his summing up of the Blasties dangermen.

He said: "They are your archetypal Little and Large partnership with the lad Grehan capable of winning his fair share of aerial duels and enabling the busy Forde to run onto his flicks so we have to be on our guard.

“And this respect for the Blasties players extends to midfield where Davie Anderson can pull the strings and dictate games if afforded to much time and space while Mark Staunton keeps them tight as a drum defensively .

“Our recent meetings with Kilbirnie have been highly competitive and my players will be warned to expect yet another tough test on Sunday.”