THE footballing instincts that have served Auchinleck Talbot boss Tommy Sloan so well through the years have helped him deal with the thorny (if not taboo) subject of making changes to a winning team.

The reigning Super Premier Division kingpins had racked up four victories on the spin going into last weekend’s crunch league match with Beith yet Tucker did not hesitate to “call in the cavalry” and recall the tried and trusted likes of Martin McGoldrick, Bryan Young and Graham Wilson to his starting line-up.

The question raised by his bold selection is whether the most successful Junior manager going the rounds felt his side needed this trio of potential game-changers for the Beith match or were his sights focused on this Saturday’s massive crunch Scottish Junior Cup third-round clash with Pollok?

The cagey Talbot boss was typically keeping his cards close to his chest and was not for revealing his thoughts when looking ahead to the Newlandsfield contest.

He insisted: “Martin’s absence was more to do with him having work commitments abroad over the past few weeks rather than any injury and he proved his fitness on the training ground so we felt it right to bring him straight back in.

“And nobody can deny that both Graham and Youngy had earned their jerseys after making huge impacts coming off the substitutes’ bench in our previous game against Kilwinning Rangers.

“All three players more than justified their select-ion by helping contribute to a much better team performance and I’m reasonably pleased with how we are shaping up for the test of taking on Pollok in their own backyard.

“I said our meeting was an absolute cracker of a cup tie when the draw was made and nothing has changed my mind.”

Midfield battler Craig McCracken is a definite non-starter after suffering a re-occurrence of a hamstring strain injury at training and the Talbot gaffer admitted to having a number of other concerns for the trip through to the Glasgow Southside.

“I’ll have a better idea of how we will set ourselves up when Alan McLuckie returns from a business trip as he took in Pollok’s game against Glenafton last weekend,” he said.

“But at least one enforced change is looking likely as a couple of the guys are struggling to get over knocks; right now the likelihood is one of them will make it and one won’t.”

It says a lot when 29-year-old central defensive bulwark McGoldrick is refusing to take his place for granted in what he terms “a make or break” head to head.

Three times Scottish Cup winner Goldie said: “To come back against Beith after being away for four weeks was both pleasing and surprising, particularly as Ross Harvey has been terrific playing alongside Danny Boyle.

“Fitting back in was not a problem and our overall performance was more than decent apart from not putting the game to bed in the first half by converting a bigger slice of the scoring opportunities we created.

“If we can just rediscover our edge in front of goal then we can go to Newlandsfield feeling confident of acquitting ourselves against a very good Pollok side who it should be remembered were beaten finalists last season.

“People often talk about our cup pedigree but Tony McInally and his players have it in spades as well.”

Meanwhile, the fourth-round draw featuring the last 32 teams left in the Scottish Junior Cup will be held in the Evening Times offices on November 30 at 3.30pm.