There's only one thing more important to clubs than taking part in the William Hill Scottish Cup … and that's staying in it.

It's widely accepted that none of the seven Junior clubs starting out in this season's competition - due to get underway today with the playing of eight preliminary round ties - has the slightest chance of running out at Hampden Park on May 30 next year for the final.

Success for them will be a plum tie against one of the big-name Senior clubs and it's perfectly understandable if supporters, players and club treasurers dream of surviving until the third round when Rangers and five other Championship clubs enter the fray.

But getting to that stage means winning two ties, or three in the case of highly regarded West Region duo Auchinleck Talbot and Hurlford United, whom the initial draw has pitted with preliminary contests against St Cuthbert Wanderers and Edinburgh University respectively.

Eagerly awaiting the chance to lock horns with South of Scotland League side St Cuthbert is Talbot midfielder Colin Spence, who played a prominent part when the teams clashed in the second round last season - also at Beechwood Park - when Talbot won 4-0, with striker Davie Gormley helping himself to a hat trick.

It will be 30-year-old Spenny's fourth Scottish Cup campaign with the Ayrshire kingpins and he has his sights set on bettering the 2012 feat of reaching the fourth round to lose out 1-0 against Hearts at Tynecastle.

The playmaker said last night: "We would love to enjoy another decent cup run but lady luck can be so crucial in making this happen seeing as every draw sees stronger and better sides going into the hat.

"And the rewards on offer if you can progress through the early stages brings out the best in teams and ensure there is no such thing as an easy tie.

"People were delighting when we landed St Cuthbert as our first up opponents, but they are nobody's pushovers … they will get our utmost respect tomorrow."

Fears over Talbot's less than impressive pre-season - Tommy Sloan's men were beaten by Ardeer Thistle and Shettleston - have all but been dispelled by back-to-back Ardagh Glass Cup wins over Lugar Boswell and arch foes Cumnock.

Spence added: "The loss of both our regular centre-backs, Craig Pettigrew to Stranraer and Martin McGoldrick with a broken foot, had a lot of people thinking we were vulnerable and the pre-season defeats only added fuel to that.

"But once things turned competitive, the old Talbot were back and we were pretty convincing winners in both games."

Sloan has done his homework on St Cuthbert and expects a testing encounter. He said: "The reports I have accumulated show they are playing well and have suffered only one defeat all season.

"That's decent form by anyone's standards and my players will need to be at the top of their game if we are looking to go further in the competition.

"Home advantage should help our cause as will the injection of energy and hunger provided by newcomers Gordon Pope and Willie Boyd, which is keeping everyone on their toes by providing competition for the jerseys.

"Another emerging key player is big Pee Wee - Dwayne Hyslop - who has come back from injury this season and is looking better and better with every game he plays .

Every bit as cautious is Hurlford supremo Darren Henderson despite his side's seemingly very-winnable Blair Park tie against the East of Scotland Premier Division minnows.

Darren insisted: "Everyone tells me we should win the tie with goals to spare, but I was involved in plenty of cup shocks during my career and so were the vast majority of my players so I'd like to think those memories will serve us well today.

"We've not been setting the heather on fire with our performances or results to date and I believe we are long overdue a decent performance.

"If it comes today then nobody will be happier than me."

Ross Robertson, scorer of all United's four goals in their surprise 4-4 draw with Darvel in midweek, looks certain to form a striking partnership alongside Stewart Kean that will fire Hurlford into the first round draw.