Juniors: Central Sectional Cup holders Rob Roy walking points tightrope to bank quarter-final slot

Tomorrow night's final round of section games brings an intriguing showdown between the Rabs and Cumbernauld United.

The two sides are currently locked together atop the Section Eight standings with six points to their names as well as the exact same goals for and against figures.

But winning the Guys Meadow-staged clash will not necessarily spell qualification into the quarter-finals and that’s because rivals Kilsyth Rangers, who are also on six points, can pip both teams to top spot by chalking up a bigger winning margin in their own final game against Rossvale.

Kirkintilloch gaffer Stewart Maxwell admitted: “Both ourselves and Cumbernauld are ahead of Kilsyth by virtue of having scored a mere extra goal so you would have to think the odds are heavily stacked in their favour going into Wednesday’s games.

“And more so when you consider Rossvale are out of the running and cannot make the last eight.

"So there has to be a very real likelihood of them resting up a few players ahead of the leagues getting underway next weekend.

“Brian McGinty’s team are no pushovers but I just don’t see them matching up against a fired up Kilsyth side with everything to play for and with a new manager in Chris McGroarty wanting to make his mark.

“We are still in the hunt as things stand and will give qualification our best shot but only have ourselves to blame for it being out of our hands.

“It’s a very short race to the quarter-finals with little margin for error so we may end up paying the price for a quite awful 45 minutes display against Kilsyth last week.

”And if the guys do narrowly lose out on goals differential then I fancy they will be looking back on the two goals conceded in Saturday’s 6-2 defeat of Rossvale with more than a little regret.”

The caning dished out to the Bishopbriggs outfit, whose goalkeeper Jamie Donnelly was red carded at 3-1, came at a heavy price for Maxi after key players Danny Boyle and Willie Sawyers were forced to come off with injuries.

The team boss said: "A decision on Danny’s fitness will only be made after he is assessed prior to kick off time however we will not gamble on him or indeed for that matter Willie who only lasted 20 minutes against the Vale after slightly twisting his knee.

“He did the right thing in straightaway signalling to come off but in typical Sawyers fashion he scored a goal while we were preparing to substitute him.

”We are covered if Willie doesn’t make it as Gary Carroll, who previously played with Cumbernauld United , scored twice on Saturday and looks as if he is going to be a real handful for defences.”

Maxi went on to reveal his weekend moves on the Junior transfer market - making two new signings in the shape of ex-Petershill goalkeeper Stevie McNeil and winger type Joe Slattery whose last known club was Dalbeattie Star as well as releasing defender Ross Gallagher at his own request .

He added: "It’s a second spell at the club for Stevie who was here under John Richardson before moving to the Peasy and he’s an ideal replacement for young Alex Connell who is stepping back down to play with Rob Roy Amateurs.

“Joe has decent qualities and is someone we believe will be another useful addition to the squad whose numbers are now shorn of Ross who has not totally settled here since coming on board during the close season."

Word of Gallagher’s release will no doubt be welcomed by supporters of his former Junior club Renfrew however it’s understood his preference is to join the considerable band of ex-Juniors playing with Southside Amateurs.

Also on the comings and goings front comes word of Wishaw appointing experienced campaigner John Brogan as their new team boss to fill the void left by Chris McGroarty’s recent departure to take over the reins at Kilsyth Rangers.

Brogey who had been in charge of Lanark United is bringing his Moor Park backroom team pair Colin Mitchell and Scott Gemmell with him and the trio will undoubtedly be on tenterhooks tomorrow night awaiting the outcome of the Sectional Cup encounter between Gartcairn and Newmains United.

A victory for Gartcairn will see David Greig’s men through to a Quarter Final date away to Renfrew next midweek however any other outcome will leave Wishaw topping the Section Two standings .

In other key contests, Larkhall Thistle face a must win clash at home to Forth Wanderers for the honour of hosting the probable last eight visit of Pollok while the only other qualifier Cambuslang Rangers (barring a last-game collapse against Rutherglen Glencairn) must wait to see whether St Roch's can overcome Bellshill Athletic at the James McGrory Stadium to take the Section Three honours.

Clydebank’s hopes of emerging as the only other Super Premier Division qualifier (along with Pollok) depends upon Kieran McAnespie’s young side getting the better of derby rivals Yoker Athletic at Holm Park but any slip up would open the door for Glasgow Perthshire to assume top spot in Section Six with a win over near neighbours Ashfield.

The Central Sectional Cup quarter-final pairings are shaping as follows: Forth Wanderers /Larkhall Thistle v Pollok, Renfrew v Gartcairn /Wishaw, Cambuslang Rangers v St Roch's/Thorniewood Utd, Clydebank/Glasgow Perthshire v Kilsyth Rangers/Rob Roy/Cumbernauld Utd.

In the only Sectional Cup game played last night, Glenafton took a massive stride towards securing an Ardagh Glass last-eight place with a resounding 6-1 victory over Lugar Boswell who had briefly led 1-0 at Loch Park but had no answer to the goals raining in from Darren McGill (3), Mick McCann (2) and James McKernon.

THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES

TOMORROW

(Kick-offs 6.45pm)

Central Sectional League Cup. Section One: Larkhall Thistle v Forth Wanderers,Lesmahagow, Royal Albert v Lesmahagow.

Section Two: Shotts Bon Accord v Carluke Rovers, Gartcairn v Newmains Utd.

Section Three: St Roch's v Bellshill Athletic, Shettleston v Thorniewood Utd.

Section Four: Rutherglen Glencairn v Cambuslang Rangers, Vale of Clyde v Blantyre Vics.

Section Five: Arthurlie v St Anthony's, Pollok v Benburb.

Section Six: Ashfield v Glasgow Perthshire,Yoker Athletic v Clydebank.

Section Seven: Johnstone Burgh v Port Glasgow, Greenock v Vale of Leven

Section Eight: Rob Roy v Cumbernauld Utd, Rossvale v Kilsyth Rangers v Dunipace.

Ardagh Glass Sectional League Cup. Section One: Beith v Kilbirnie Ladeside, Kilwinning Rangers v Largs Thistle, Ardrossan Winton Rovers v Dalry Thistle.

Section Two: Ardeer Thistle v Darvel, Irvine Meadow v Saltcoats Vics, Hurlford Utd v Irvine Vics.

Section Three: Annbank Utd v Craigmark,Girvan v Maybole, Troon v Whitletts Vics.

Section Four: Auchinleck Talbot v Muirkirk, Lugar Boswell v Cumnock, Glenafton v Kello Rovers.

SATURDAY

(Kick-offs 2pm)

McBookie Com Super Premier Division: Girvan v Arthurlie, Glenafton v Clydebank, Hurlford Utd v Beith, Kilwinning Rangers v Cumnock, Pollok v Kilbirnie Ladeside, Rob Roy v Auchinleck Talbot.

McBookie Com Super First Division: Cambuslang Rangers v Kilsyth Rangers, Darvel v Larkhall Thistle, Largs Thistle v Maryhill, Petershill v Cumbernauld Utd, Renfrew v Rutherglen Glencairn, Shettleston v Kello Rovers, Troon v Irvine Meadow.

McBookie Com Central First Division: Benburb v Rossvale, East Kilbride Thistle v Shotts Bon Accord, Forth Wanderers v Greenock, Lesmahagow v Port Glasgow, Thorniewood Utd v Blantyre Vics,Yoker Athletic v Wishaw.

McBookie Com Central Second Division: Ashfield v Johnstone Burgh, Dunipace v Bellshill Athletic, Newmains Utd v Carluke Rovers, Royal Albert v Gartcairn, Vale of Clyde v Lanark Utd, Vale of Leven v St Anthony's.

McBookie Com Ayrshire District Division: Annbank Utd v Craigmark, Ardeer Thistle v Maybole, Irvine Vics v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Muirkirk v Whitletts Vics, Saltcoats Vics v Lugar Boswell.