A ONCE united band of brothers at Pollok will be at loggerheads in a vital Super Premier Division encounter today.

Second-placed Kilwinning Rangers, whose ranks include Carlo Monti, David Winters and Findlay Frye, will be coming up against ex-Newlandsfield team-mate John Sweeney, now a Kilbirnie Ladeside midfielder, and the bad news for the Buffs trio is their mate is vowing to put a spoke in their title hopes.

Sweeney said: “It’s make or break time for Kilwinning as they have three league games left to play, starting with ourselves, and anything less than full points will see their championship chances come a cropper.

“Even a draw kills them off as the Buffs can then only attain a maximum 45 points and that would not be enough to get ahead of Beith, assuming they win their final game against Girvan to finish on 45 points.

“Auchinleck might yet come out on top by winning their games in hand but they face a really difficult run-in so you have to think some points will be dropped and, sorry to say but Carlo, Davie and Findlay may have to settle for third place.

“It would be a bit of a shame considering Kilwinning have topped the table for most of this season but the guys know better than to expect any sympathy or favours from myself.”

The 28-year-old is not over-confident about getting gaffer Budgie McGhie’s nod for a starting jersey at Abbey Park.

He said: “We were rank rotten – myself included – in losing 4-1 on Wednesday night to a Hurlford United side that scored from four set pieces.

“That should never happen but it sums up the quite awful performance we served up on the night and the fact I was substituted around the hour mark does not really augur well for me to be selected from the start against Kilwinning.

“Hopefully I do because I thoroughly enjoyed last month’s home game with the Buffs which we won 1-0 and you can bet Kilwinning will be looking to get their revenge.

“Going toe-to-toe with Findlay is the kind of battle I relish but it’s a different and extremely more difficult matter trying to get close and mark Carlo whose ability to drift into space and take up great positions makes him a real threat.

“Their players will obviously be fired up but we have the incentive of trying to win places for next week’s Ayrshire Cup quarter-final with Cumnock and I fancy we can take something off the Buffs.”

Blasties boss McGhie added: "We didn’t cover ourselves in glory against Hurlford yet I felt we missed goalscoring chances at key moments in the game that could have resulted in a different scoreline.

“The Buffs on their own turf will test our resolve and it’s disappointing to be without Reon Juskowiack's defensive nous for a game of this importance however Davie Anderson, James Findlay, Jon Scullion and Reece Williamson will all return after being rested in midweek and we also have the bonus of Mark Burbridge getting game time under his belt after a long injury absence.”

It should be pointed out the Abbey Park head to head is just one of several crunch league matches taking place today which are set to impact on the title and promotion aspirations of a number of leading clubs.

Super First Division contenders Cambuslang Rangers for instance will be making the long trek down to face Kello Rovers at Nithside Park knowing they cannot come back up the road with anything less than three points if their faltering step-up hopes are to stay in their own hands ahead of next Wednesday night’s final league match of the season at Somervell Park against Darvel.

And one can imagine copious amounts of champagne being sprayed around Keanie Park if Gartcairn can clinch the Central Second Division title with a victory over a Johnstone Burgh side determined to be party-poopers in seeking to avenge being on the wrong end of an 8-0 thrashing when the teams met in their corresponding league fixture back in January.

The Burgh have shown a marked improvement in form of late – three wins in their last four outings – so a nervy 90 minutes awaits Gartcairn boss David Greig who is continuing to take charge of the Airdrie based club after informing club officials he will be tendering his resignation at the end of this season.

Meanwhile, everyone’s tip for the Ayrshire District League honours, the Gavin Friels steered Dalry Thistle, will be out to further their claim as champions elect with a win at home to Annbank United.

Irvine Vics, if they overcome Lugar Boswell as expected at Victoria Park will leapfrog above Craigmark into top spot; however, Dalry’s four games in hand means it’s only a matter of time before they wipe out the three points lead held by Stevie Wilson’s men.

And there’s everything to play for in the ultra-competitive Central First Division stakes where the hammer blows dealt to Neilston’s hopes of an automatic promotion place by back-to-back defeats from Yoker Athleric and Forth Wanderers will be even more severely felt if Martin Campbell ‘s troops fail to get the better of Wishaw at Brig O’Lea.

Finishing fourth top of the pile earns a play-off lifeline so the pressure is on Neilston to win their final two league games (they face Shotts Bon Accord next Saturday) and set a testing 55 points target for rivals Wishaw, currently 17 points worse off but from nine games fewer played.

Also worried about the Wishaw threat are third-placed Benburb, set to close to within a point of St Roch's when taking on bottom markers Lesmahagow at New Tinto Park.