Shooting star Balfour lights the way for Vics

Yet this argument holds no water in the face of statistics. Balfour notched his 10th goal in four games with a brace in last Saturday's 3-2 Scottish Cup fourth-round defeat of Benburb.

The 22-year-old could have had a hat-trick but a thundering second-half effort hit the crossbar as he helped spearhead the Ayrshire outfit's passage into the last 16.

Vics gaffer McMillan said: "Tony would have stolen the headlines for all sorts of scoring reasons if that 20-yard shot had gone in.

"He was going for a hat-trick of hat-tricks after bagging consecutive trebles in our previous two games and he also has the distinction of scoring three goals in each of our earlier Scottish Cup ties against Banchory St Tiernan and Bathgate Thistle.

"That's him now with a phenomenal five hat-tricks to his name this season and it's getting to the stage that our supporters expect him to get on the scoresheet just about every time he crosses over the halfway line.

" Tony knows there are aspects to his game which need improving but if he's prepared to work hard and keep learning them he can be a big player for us in years to come … and for whatever one of the big guns appears on the scene - as will surely happen if he keeps producing the goods."

The jet-paced front man is rated a certainty to add to his impressive goals tally this weekend when Ayrshire District leaders Whitletts head through to face bottom markers Craigmark who just happen to be Balfour's former club.

McMillan added: "Tony is a very focussed and direct type of player who only thinks about scoring goals. The fact he will be going up against ex-team mates will not matter a jot to him.

"He and Michael O'Connor are a formidable partnership. I can't think of two better players at Junior level in terms of commitment and work rate.

"They never complain if asked to track back and we can count ourselves lucky to have two outstanding individuals with such a strong team ethic."