BRIAN McLuckie has no doubts Cumnock will turn their stuttering season around.

The Townhead side have failed to win in five, including a Scottish Cup quarter-final to Glenafton, and last Saturday’s 1-1 draw saw them slip closer to the relegation dogfight.

They are now three points above basement boys Arthurlie, albeit with games in hand on the teams around them, and a season that started so promisingly is in danger of unravelling.

But McLuckie said: “I’ve not contemplated being involved in a relegation fight. It doesn’t concern me.

“We played well enough on Saturday and were by far the better side in the second half. There was maybe a hangover from the Scottish Cup defeat in the first half - that’s not unexpected. But the boys responded well and we dominated the second period.

“There isn’t a lot wrong with most performances but we need to start taking our chances. I’d be more concerned if we weren’t creating them.” And the gaffer insists the whole team and not just the strikers need to start taking the responsibility.

He added: “On Saturday we had four good chances and didn’t take any of them. James Lundie, Paul McInness, Ray Montgomerie and Robert Love all had opportunities but didn’t take them.

“We need a break in front of goal and I’m sure we will start finding the net before long.” Cumnock avoid league duty today, much to the surprise of McLuckie, when they travel to Hurlford for a crunch West of Scotland Cup clash.

And while the Cumnock manager who have preferred to be playing for points, he’s looking forward to facing Darren Henderson’s Hurlford side.

He added: “I’m a bit baffled by the scheduling as we have a lot of league games to catch up on but we just have to get on with it.

“We’re going there confident that we can get a result. It’s a competition we want to win especially after being knocked out of the Scottish Cup.”