THERE’S a school of thought that reckons there’s an aura to be overcome when going up against the might of Auchinleck Talbot in a Scottish Junior Cup Final.

Opponents are inevitably spooked at the prospect of taking on a club with an unparalleled record of 12 victories in the Junior game’s No.1 competition…particularly when five of those successes have come over the past 10 seasons …and the intimidation factor kicks in further when the combatants emerge from the players tunnel to the tumultuous roar of Talbot’s supporting legions whose turnout on these showpiece occasions invariably outnumbers that of the other finalist.

The unnerving atmosphere can affect even the most experienced players but someone not subscribing to this notion is Glenafton team boss Craig McEwan who is adamant his playing charges have nothing to fear ahead of locking horns with their Ayrshire rivals in tomorrow’s Rugby Park staged 2016/17 finale (kick-off 4.15pm).

He insisted: “I cannot stop bookmakers portraying Auchinleck as massive favourites and ourselves as underdogs even if I wanted.

“And why should I when Tucker and his players are the undoubted benchmark for the rest of us in Junior football given their achievements in recent seasons?

“But what does stick in the throat is the total lack of respect shown to my players who should be deserving of praise by the bucketloads for winning the Super Premier Division title yet all I hear from some quarters is that we are only champions because of Talbot losing form and suffering a horrendous run of injuries?

“Really? Well all I can say in response is the league table seldom lies and this Glenafton team have more than earned the right to be described as the West Region’s finest.

“And knowing the league trophy is tucked away in the cabinet has actually helped to relieve the pressure on us going into Sunday’s game where the guys have the opportunity to turn a good season into a truly amazing one.

“Yes it’s a huge ask considering the big game players in Talbot’s ranks but we are not lacking for ace cards of our own and I am confident of doing just fine as long as we can bring our A game to the final.”

The New Cumnock outfit's playing squad underwent a light training session at Rugby Park last night and afterwards McEwan said: “ I should be pleased that everyone is fit and raring to go but the headache to be faced now is the most difficult part of management…telling two of my players they will not be stripped for the final.

“But I won’t shy away from the responsibility and neither will you hear me complaining about the astro-grass pitch at Rugby Park because I see the playing surface as lending itself to a team like ours who like nothing better than to get the ball down and play aggressive attacking football.

“All that remains now is for Pottsy (No.2 Craig Potter) and myself to keep the guys calm while at the same time fired up for what will be arguably the biggest game in their Junior careers to date.

“The simmering rivalry between the clubs will make for a highly competitive 90 minutes and it’s vital that we beat Talbot to the punch by grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and controlling the tempo from the off.

“Some managers might prefer a more patient approach but I would rather be beaten than not have a real go at Auchinleck."

Glenafton’s travelling party will sit down for a pre-match meal at Loch Park tomorrow as Southy looks to follow the same routine of former Glens manager Alan Rough prior to steering his 1993 side to Scottish Junior Cup glory.

The Glens gaffer added: “If it worked for Roughie’s team then it’s good enough for us."

Inevitably, there has been something akin to an air of despondency hanging over Auchinleck’s preparations this past week, both at the loss of their Super Premier Division title and not least of all a horrendous run of injuries.

But determined not to offer up excuses is gaffer Tommy Sloan ahead of making an astonishing seventh cup final appearance as is Ayrshire club’s manager.

He admitted: “It’s been a bit of struggle trying to get players in a state of readiness for the final and right now I would say without fear of contradiction that not everyone is going to make it.

“The niggles and strains keeping guys on the treatment table or simply resting up on training nights have hampered our preparations to an extent but I do believe getting a week’s break from playing games has been a godsend .

“I have a team in mind but nothing will be decided until we arrive at Rugby Park however my players know they cannot declare themselves fit if they are nursing an injury of any sort because astro-grass is a very unforgiving surface for anyone trying to play through the pain barrier. “

Tucker does not believe there is any psychological advantage from Glenafton coming into the Final on a high after being crowned Super Premier champions in contrast to Auchinleck having suffered three defeats on the spin.

He said: “It’s a very unusual state of affairs for us yet it’s how we react to the situation that will define whether the cup will be coming back to Auchinleck.

“The teams are evenly matched so I’m pretty sure the outcome will come down to fine margins on the day and if we can give it our best shot then I’m happy to see where it gets us.”

TODAY

(Kick-offs 2pm)

Central League Cup semi-final: Lesmahagow v Yoker Athletic.

TOMORROW

Scottish Junior Cup Final: Auchinleck Talbot v Glenafton (Rugby Park 4.15pm).

Talbot midfielder Bryan Young had been one of his side’s injury doubts coming into cup final week but he trained full out alongside his team-mates on Thursday night and has unashamedly thrown his hat in the ring for a starting jersey against the Glens..

Many outsiders would say the 30-year-old already boasts a stellar Junior career yet he finds himself on the brink of making history (along with James Latta and Steven White) as the recipients of six Scottish Cup winners' medals if Talbot yet again prevail on the biggest Junior stage of all.

Butch has acquired a reputation throughout his 11 Talbot years as someone who can be relied upon to make a telling contribution whenever it is needed and he is looking forward to the all-Ayrshire head to head even though he reckons close friend Ally Park will be in and about his ankles looking to put the little playmaker’s gas at a peep.

He reasoned: “It only adds a bit of spice to the final if former Talbot team mates Ally, Mick McCann and goalkeeper Brian McGarrity are lining up for Glenafton.

“I have no doubts whatsoever they have been major influences on the Glens coming to the fore this season especially with stories coming out from Loch Park of a great togetherness and team spirit in their dressing room as that has always been the way of things with Auchinleck.

“They came out on top in our home and away league games and we can have no complaints even though the tackle put in by Ally on me that earned him a red card in our last meeting was what you might term a bit 'over robust'.

“I know him well enough to realise there was no malice intended but it is typical of him to be throwing himself into tackles and competing for every ball.

“Ally’s not a flair player by any stretch of the imagination but he’s a focused type whose energy and infectious spirit gets everyone around him playing to their strengths and I’m delighted he’s become a very important player in Glenafton’s set up after being a small fish in the big pond at Talbot.

Glenafton’s failure to beat Ayrshire opponents in four of their five previous Junior Cup Final appearances since their formation in 1930…Irvine Meadow (1963), Auchinleck (1992), Largs Thistle (1994) and Hurlford United (2104) is not lost on the affable Butch who said: “I’ll be making a point of reminding Ally of his club’s poor record if he manages to get close enough to me on Sunday.”

Ochiltree-based Park’s seamless move into a midfield ball winning role after four years operating as a full-back at Auchinleck can be traced back to his youth football days at Rangers where he was also deployed in an engine room role.

He said: “I have played in a number of positions since my younger days, including a stint as Talbot’s left back when Gordon Pope stepped up to Ayr United but I was back to just being a stand by player as soon as he returned to Beechwood.

“Auchinleck beat both Linlithgow Rose and Musselburgh Athletic in Junior Finals during my time and I have the winners medals to prove it but I never actually featured in either game so I cannot wait to experience the occasion this time around …if selected of course.

“The fact Talbot are in opposition makes things interesting as I am still good pals with a lot of the guys , including Butch whom I regard as one of the best Junior midfield players of recent times.

“He has played a huge part in forging their terrific record Scottish Cup and I know better than most how he and the rest of my former team mates will take some beating in the Final but we will use that factor to motivate us on the day.

He added: “Our gaffer Craig McEwan and his assistant Craig Potter have worked hard to instil a great self-belief in our playing squad that has us feeling on top of the world and we go into every game feeling confident of coming out the other end as winners

“Obviously taking on Talbot in the cup final represents quite a challenge but not an impossible one and if we can start well to give our supporters a lift then I fancy we will do well.”