GLENAFTON boss Craig McEwan has scoffed at the notion his players will struggle to handle the pressure of being the team everyone else wants to beat in the coming season.

Junior football’s reigning kingpins…their Loch Park trophy cabinet houses the Scottish Junior Cup, Super Premier Division silverware and Evening Times Champions Cup…begin the defence of their league title at home to Clydebank next Saturday and Southy insists his playing charges are well equipped to meet the expectations on their shoulders.

He said: “Recruiting decent players during the summer months has left us looking better than this time last season and our initial Ardagh Glass Cup performances have been pretty decent so what is there to be worried about.

“A number of other teams have been very active on the transfer front in gearing up to mount a challenge - most notably Pollok and Hurlford United - but their ambitions arguably puts more pressure on them.

“Tony McInally and Darren Henderson are experienced managers and have bought well but I actually like to hear people talking up their sides because it enables my guys to fly under the radar and concentrate on starting away where we left off at the end of last season.”

His club’s hectic schedule of games…they will be playing in their third competition come Saturday…is not causing Southy any sleepless nights.

He added: “Winning in the Ardagh Cup against both Auchinleck Talbot and Cumnock is a clear sign of our good health as was the manner of our Scottish Cup win over Newton Stewart.

“That victory brings another fixture in playing Golspie Sutherland in the next round but my players are relishing the prospect as they desperately want to test themselves against Senior opposition if we get through.

“Taking on a well-drilled Clydebank in our opening league game presents a different set of problems, however both Pottsy (assistant Craig Potter) and myself are confident we have players able to cope with what is put in front of them.

“And such is our strength in depth that Bankies boss Kieran McAnespie had a wasted journey running the rule over us in Monday night’s 6-1 defeat of Lugar Boswell as we made fully eight changes for that game.”

Meanwhile, Super Premier Division newcomers Girvan are the only known Ardagh Glass Section winners going into tonight’s final round of group games.

Peter Leonard’s men have impressively accumulated the full yield of 12 points from their opening four Cup encounters, with last Saturday’s 5-0 caning of nearest challengers Craigmark through goals from Stevie Auld, Jack McDowall, Robert Patterson and veteran Paul Cameron (2), ensuring they could not be toppled from atop the Section Three pile.

A further boost to their goals column is on the cards tonight with the Seasiders awaiting the visit to Hamilton Park of pointless bottom markers Maybole however their probable quarter-final “reward” of a home tie against Auchinleck Talbot next midweek promises to be a much tougher prospect.

Last season’s beaten finalists Talbot are rated odds-on certainties to qualify by virtue of winning at home to lowly Muirkirk but the likelihood is they will finish Section Four runners-up to current frontrunners Glenafton unless Craig Menzies & Co succumb to an unforeseen Loch Park defeat against Kello Rovers.

If truth be told, it’s hard to envisage anything other than a resounding Glens victory that would then set up a last-eight clash for the New Cumnock outfit against The Mark but only if the Ayrshire District League outfit can themselves prevail when taking to the road to face one point worse off Annbank United.

Keeping fingers crossed for a draw or even a narrow Bankies win at New Pebble Park are supporters of Troon Juniors whose superior goals differential would then lift them into second top spot assuming Jimmy Kirkwood’s side pick up all three points at home to Whitletts Vics.

Hurlford United's form…four wins in four games to date…have undoubtedly caught the eye in the other half of the draw and Darren Henderson’s side will be seeking to finish their qualifying campaign in style when nearest challengers Irvine Vics make the trip through to Blair Park.

A victory would enable Stevie Wilson's much improved side to top the Section Two standings but most pundits are tipping the Vics to come away second best and set up a quarter-final clash away to whosoever emerges as the winner in tonight’s Section One decider between leading pair Kilwinning Rangers and Largs Thistle.

To a degree, a share of the spoils at Abbey Park suits both clubs but a defeat for either would open the door for current third-placed Beith to move up into second top spot if the Mighty get the better of arch rivals Kilbirnie Ladeside.

The possibility of an upset or two cannot be ruled out, however the Ardagh quarter-final draw is shaping as:

Girvan v Auchinleck Talbot, Glenafton v Craigmark, Hurlford Utd v Largs Thistle/Beith, Kilwinning Rangers v Irvine Vics.

TONIGHT'S FIXTURES

(Kick-offs 6.45pm)

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