POLLOK will take their frustrations out on Renfrew when they face them in the first defence of their Euroscot Eng Central League Cup crown today.

So says prolific hitman Richie Barr after the Newlandsfield side's troubled times continuing last weekend when a 2-1 defeat to lowly Penicuik Athletic sent them out of the Scottish Junior Cup.

It makes it four games with no wins since manager Tony McInally took the hotseat and Barr says he and his team-mates see today's clash as a turning point.

The 32-year-old insisted: "We'd love to give an up-tempo, blood-and-thunder display of a style that will excite supporters and get them cheering us from the terracings, but first and foremost we have to win this cup tie.

"I'm not the only player who joined this club expecting to be part of a team that would win trophies, so this is our last-chance saloon."

Barr will be extra keen to do well facing his former club for the first time since a 2007 transfer to Cumnock. He had shared a Western Park dressing room with current Frew co-manager Colin Clark and coach Jimmy Quigley.

He said: "The dressing-room camaraderie there was second to none.

"Time has brought a lot of changes with Clarky and Jimmy the only two remnants from my playing stint, so it will be good to meet up with them and talk about old times.

"But reminiscing has to go on the back burner until after the game and I'll gladly buy them a beer … hopefully as a commiserating gesture."

Frew co-boss Martin Ferry says a striker of Barr's calibre would make a big difference to the Super First Division basement strugglers.

He said: "Pollok might be experiencing lean times, but Richie is a frontman of the highest quality who has always known where the goal is even when he was starting out as a teenager at Renfrew.

"He poses a real threat today, but Graham Mort has been playing exceptionally well at the heart of our defence and he will relish the challenge of keeping Richie quiet."

He added: "Ours is a predominantly young squad which Clarky, Quig and myself have had to nurse along this season, yet if we had someone with Richie's nose for goal, then I would fancy us to be challenging for promotion."

Pollok newcomers Jamie Barclay, Josh Horne and Andy Duncan are in line for Newlandsfield debuts as McInally looks to ring the changes.

Today's line-up will not include any of the 16 players who featured when the Central League Cup silverware was won through a 3-0 victory over Ashfield back in June: only suspended defender Graeme McLaren is still on the club's books.

A Lok scorer in that final, Willie Sawyers, now leads the line at Rob Roy. They face a testing cup trip to Greenock. The hitman has netted 23 goals in 23 starts for the Kirkintilloch outfit, but fired blanks in his last two outings.

He said: "This is an ideal opportunity to come out of our dip before taking on Pollok next weekend. I'm itching to get amongst the goals."

Greenock are boosted by new signings Martin Dow from Largs and Kevin Mackay from Port Glasgow.

On the Ayrshire Cup card, the pick of the ties appears to be the derby between Irvine Vics and more feted neighbours Irvine Meadow.

Ardeer Thistle could give Cumnock a run for their money, but Saltcoats Vics could suffer at Hurlford United's hands, Kilbirnie Ladeside are capable of piling up goals at home to Annbank United and one doesn't dare imagine the damage likely to be wrought when Beith host lowly Craigmark.