Winning start At the conclusion of our pre-season friendlies I was fairly satisfied with what the games had given us. We obviously chopped and changed the starting line ups and made more substitutions than we would in normal circumstances but I now have a better idea of how the squad is shaping up than I had before these games.

The players should also feel a bit sharper in match situations and that will stand us in good stead for when the league games eventually start. I told the players before the Maryhill game to expect a tough game and that is exactly what we encountered. These league cup games generally bring a more competitive challenge than the pre-season friendlies and I think it’s fair to say that is what we witnessed at Lochburn Park.

I think there is little doubt that we deserved to win the game but a single goal lead is never comfortable when entering the closing stages of a game. I thought we dominated the second half and should’ve put the game out of reach but a combination of some very good saves and missed opportunities kept us on our toes right through to the final whistle.

Even if we wanted to go with the same starting 11 throughout these sectional games, availability issues would knock that on the head therefore there will be changes from game to game during this competition, but not as many as the earlier games. The one thing we don’t need from these games is a large injury list so we’ll keep everything crossed in the hope that doesn’t happen.

Jordan shines One of the real plus points was the performance of young Jordan Shelvey. Despite not getting on the scoresheet he made a significant contribution and I’m sure with more experience and time he is capable of improving further.

Next up Looking ahead to this weekend’s derby; and our games against Yoker are usually tough contests and I don’t expect this Saturday’s to be any different.

The players who haven’t previously played in these games will be told how important it is to be prepared for a difficult test.