IT'S a sign of the times when tomorrow's William Hill Scottish Cup head-to-head of Queen's Park and Irvine Meadow brings together a Senior side oozing with Junior experience against a Junior line-up of players with a far greater nous of the higher level game.

It's almost impossible not to derive pleasure from seeing the Spiders sit atop the SFL Third Division standings if you are steeped in the Juniors.

QP's ranks include Neil Parry and Michael Keenan (ex-Arthurlie), Davie Anderson and Jamie Longworth (Kilbirnie Ladeside), Craig Smith (Ashfield) and of course their Irvine-born and raised team skipper Ricky Little who formerly played with Ardrossan Winton Rovers.

The assumption is they will all be relishing the prospect of taking on the well-to-do Ayrshire outfit that more often than not bested them at the lower level.

However, it remains to be seen whether an even greater motivation sits within the visitors' camp.

Among their travelling party are seasoned ex-pros Willie Kinniburgh, Tom Brighton, Mark Campbell , and Neil McGowan as well as a plethora of players who dropped down to the Juniors at different stages of their Senior careers.

This wealth of Senior playing experience should ensure Medda are unfazed on Hampden Park's wide open spaces though one of their number, full-back Robert Halliday, has never previously played at the home of Scottish football.

One-time Hamilton Accies and Clyde signing 'Roberto ' is keen to show he is anything but a spent force in tomorrow afternoon's second round contest.

He said: "It's looking like Irvine Meadow will have a fully- fit playing squad for the first time this season so I honestly believe we can go there and give the Queen's a game of it.

"Being used to the huge playing surface obviously works in Queen's Park's favour, but plenty of our guys have played here and been on the winning side down through the years so we're just focusing on using the extra space to our own advantage."

Coming into this crunch Scottish Cup encounter on the back of consecutive Super Premier league defeats away to Clydebank and Petershill is not to Meadow manager Chris Strain 's liking.

He said: "Our team is not where we'd like to be at this stage of the season and I put that down to a failure to have everyone fit and available at the same time.

"Ideally I'd have preferred to be facing the likes of Queen's Park a month from now, but we'll just need to play to our best and see where it gets us.

"Queen's have a nucleus of former Juniors in their ranks but the player who makes them tick is Davie Anderson in midfield.

"I'm not alone in looking forward to the battle for supremacy between him and our Liam McGuinness, seeing as it's only a couple of seasons since they formed an outstanding engine room pairing at Kilbirnie Ladeside.

"But don't for a minute think we're going there simply looking to shut up shop as I believe our own strikers Tom Brighton and Richie Barr can cause the Queen's defence a lot of problems

"We'll have a go but right now I'd bite your hand off to have another bite at them at Meadow Park next week."

Queens Park's towering goalkeeper Parry said there is no danger of the high-flying Senior side underestimating their opponents.

"Irvine Meadow were always regarded as one of the Junior big guns during my time at Arthurlie and by all accounts they are still one of the top teams around, so we' re expecting a tough time," said Parry.

"My former Lie team-mate Becksy Miller plays for them nowadays so it will be good meeting up with him again, but hopefully it's to buy him a consolation drink."