Neilston co-boss Chris Cameron is relishing the chance to dethrone cup kings Auchinleck Talbot.
The Farmer’s Boys made heavy work of beating Fourth Division side Harmony Row on Saturday, with midfielder Olly Smith eventually grabbing the winner after he capitalised on a goalkeeping error from the home side.
Their reward was a lucrative third round South Challenge Cup tie against Ayrshire giants Talbot, a club Cameron came up against frequently during his playing days.
And he’s urging his troops to grab the opportunity to show the Premier Division side what they’re made of as they look to spring a big shock in the competition.
Cameron said: “It wasn’t a vintage performance against Harmony Row.
“Defensively we were solid and we dominated the game from start to finish. They rarely threatened but, despite getting in behind them about 20 times, our finishing was way off.
“We weren’t breaking our neck to get in the right areas, and when we did the finish wasn’t there. We were toothless in attack and we need to fix that.
“The draw we got for the next round is as tough as they come. Auchinleck are the cup kings at our level.
“It’s a difficult, difficult task but it’s also a great fixture for the boys. You want to pit yourselves against the best you possibly can.
“We’ll get a share of the gate, which is great for the club financially. But for me these are the games you want to be involved in.
“I used to come up against them regularly as a player and they were always right in your face and very aggressive.
“There was always a great crowd and a lot of our boys have aspirations of going on to play at a higher level.
“This is the perfect opportunity for them to prove they can and we’ll definitely be having a right go at pulling off a big upset.”
Neilston’s attention turns back to domestic duty this weekend, with the Farmer’s Boys welcoming Cumbernauld to the Brig O’Lea Stadium this Saturday.
Cameron hopes a number of key players returning to action will help them rediscover their ability in front of goal as they look to climb back up the First Division table.
Cameron said: “We’ve scored goals freely before this season. The lads are just lacking that little bit of confidence at the moment.
“We’ve struggled personnel-wise lately. We’ve not had that consistency on the park and we’ve changed formation quite a few times to try and get more bodies in the box.
“Thankfully we’ve got a few more bodies back for the Cumbernauld game and hopefully that will help us get back in a shape that suits the whole team.”
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