CUMNOCK boss Brian McGinty says his players have what it takes to win this weekend’s first derby of the season with Auchinleck Talbot – but that they’ll have to be at their very best to do so.

The latest chapter in one of Scottish football’s fiercest rivalries will be written at Townhead Park this weekend as the two teams fight for a place in the last eight of the Scottish Junior Cup.

The two sides haven’t met since March, when Jordan Moore’s brace gave Nock a surprise 2-1 win at Beechwood in what was Talbot’s first league defeat of 2022 – and McGinty says that result has given him and his players confidence going into the tie.

McGinty told the club’s own media team: “For the club and the fans I know how big a deal it is, but for us and the players we want to win every game.

“The fact that it’s Talbot? There’s a wee bit of added spice to it, but we beat them the last time we played them [so] there’s no fear factor here.

“That doesn’t mean we’re going to win – Talbot are a really good side, and they’ve hit a really good bit of form in the last few weeks, so we know how difficult it’s going to be.

“But I think previously teams have turned up expecting to get beat off Talbot. We don’t do that now, because we beat them the last time we played them and we know we’re capable of beating them.”

Nock go into Saturday’s tie off the back of a 1-0 home league win over Arthurlie on Saturday, with Graham Boyd’s goal securing all three points after what McGinty, who celebrated his one-year anniversary in the Townhead Park hotseat on Sunday, described as “a massive shift” from his players.

And he knows the same will be required if Cumnock are to see off Talbot on Saturday.

“What happened the last time was we had everybody, including the subs that came off the bench, playing at their maximum,” McGinty added, “and if we do that next week I expect us to win.

“If we don’t, we’ll probably be out the cup.”

“it’s a great place to be in – the players know that if they go and play at their maximum there’s a great chance of being in the next round. It’s a massive game, a massive occasion, but it’s just another game of football we want to win.”

Meanwhile, Glenafton Athletic are hoping to join one of their East Ayrshire rivals in the hat for the quarter-final draw when they travel to Angus to take on Carnoustie Panmure on Saturday.

Kick-off at Laing Park is at 1.30pm.