THE Super Premier Division is proving to be the tough gig everyone predicted it would be for Troon.

Coming up as Super First Division champions and Ayrshire Cup winners from last time out has cut no ice among the West Region big guns.

Boss Jim Kirkwood and his players only racked up their first league win two weeks ago with an impressive 4-0 victory over Kilbirnie Ladeside.

But any feelings of euphoria were to last a mere seven days until a 3-2 Hannah Park defeat at the hands of Shotts Bon Accord brought them crashing back down to earth.

Kirkwood admitted: "The top league is ultra-competitive, but our players and supporters are loving being involved in it, even though our return of eight points from a possible 27 up to now is hardly the best."

"What's become abundantly clear is that margins between success and failure are wafer- thin. So it is vital to have all your top players available, as we found out to our cost when seven of our guys were missing against Irvine Meadow and we ended up on the wrong end of a 5-0 hammering.

"The other side of the coin saw us come a cropper against a Shotts side that had lost six goals apiece against Hurlford and Medda. But their manager Tam McDonald explained he had only 11 fit players going into those games.

"As luck would have it, he had a full squad of 18 raring to go against us."

Troon's step-up had Kirkwood tipped to dive into the close-season transfer market.

He chose instead to stick by the youngsters who had won promotion and now he feels they are ready to repay his faith in them.

He insisted, "Our young full back Gareth Armstrong has been playing like a seasoned pro yet he has only turned 21.

"Our other youngsters - Dale Moore, Stevie Wilson and Craig Harvey, who has scored three in his last three games - don't look out of place against the best Junior players.

"Older heads such as Gavin Collins and Dean Keenan have helped the kids to develop and get attuned to the top flight.

"And Mick McCann, who arrived from Auchinleck in the summer and is one of the fittest players I have seen, is proving to be very influential.

"People might look at our results and think just one win from nine matches is a poor return, but I prefer to look at the fact we have more than held our own by drawing five of those. We took the decision a year ago to rely on our younger guys and nobody can dispute they have graduated with honours."

TROON will host Petershill tomorrow then face trips to champions Auchinleck Talbot and Cumnock before Arthurlie visit Portland Park.

Kirkwood added: "We have been rock solid at home, where we've not lost since February, so it would be marvellous to reach the turn of the year with that unbeaten record intact.But there is no denying that Petershill are one of the title contenders and possess the organisation, self-belief and know-how to win on the road.

"So they represent a real challenge to our guys.

"A win would go a long way towards helping us stay in this division, but the players know the points will not be easy to come by."

Troon hitman David Gillies will need at least three months more to recover from a serious knee ligament injury. Kirkwood has been linked with Glenafton's transfer-listed frontman Pat Walker, but the Troon gaffer said: "Patch is a local lad and we know all about his qualities.

"But a number of clubs are chasing his signature and we won't enter a bidding war."

This weekend's opponents Petershill are set to retain Danny McLeay in goal after last week's 1-0 defeat of Beith.

And the former St Joseph's Amateurs youngster Dale Clark is set to get the nod again after his impressive debut showing in that game.