Real derby is going to Nock your socks off
Keir can’t wait to face Ayr in cup but says Talbot’s clash with Cumnock is even bigger
KEIR SAMSON can’t stop thinking about the big Ayrshire derby – just probably not the one you’d expect.
Junior giants Auchinleck Talbot face one of the most eagerly awaited games in their history a week on Saturday when Championship highfliers Ayr visit in the Scottish Cup.
But before that they have another massive Beechwood battle on their hands when Cumnock come calling for the latest instalment of a bitter football feud that would give the Old Firm a run for their money.
For Samson, having been on both sides of the divide as a former Nock player, Saturday’s West of Scotland Cup clash is equally important as the tie of the round with Ayr that has captured the county’s imagination.
At the very least it’s perfect preparation for the arduous fourthround challenge Bot will face against Ian McCall’s Honest Men. But ask
Samson which tie he’d rather win and the answer may surprise you.
The 21-year-old midfielder said: “Saturday’s game is massive.
“The two villages just don’t like each other and there’s a few people who would choose a win against Cumnock ahead of a victory over Ayr. I’d be one of them.
“It will help us to have a big game like this against Cumnock. The manager will probably play his strongest team, he’ll not rest anyone and it’ll be good preparation for Ayr.
“I just joined Talbot from Cumnock this season and I did feel a wee bit like I had to win over the fans because I had come from there.
“Also it has been a bit stop-start for me because I broke my foot and missed the first two or three months of this season. But I’ll definitely win them over if I help us get a result against Ayr.” It is not just the fans he could either win over or alienate depending on how the next fortnight goes – it could make or break the atmosphere at his day job.
Samson said: “I’m a coach with the SFA’s performance schools, working with kids in the local area.
“One of the schools I work with is Grange Academy in Kilmarnock and one of the boys Finn Ecrepont, who plays for Ayr, went there. But mostly it’s Killie fans and they’ll be desperate for us to get a result.
“Also Garry Hay is my boss so as a former Killie player he is desperate for me to win as well.
“He has had a few chats with me about it saying, ‘Best of luck, stick in’ and he hopes we win. But my other boss is Craig Brown’s son John. He’s affiliated with Ayr so I’m getting wound up by both of them.” Having come through the Rugby Park youth ranks with Killie star Greg Kiltie, Samson moved to Stranraer in search of first-team football before dropping into the juniors. But dropping suggests a dip in standards which he argues is not reflective of just how competitive Tommy Sloan’s Talbot can be as the undisputed heavyweights of their league. Make no mistake the 12-time Junior Cup champions are not used to being tagged the underdogs and they’ll step out in front of their own fans – headed for a 3100 sell-out – believing they can steal the show in this live televised clash.
Samson, whose side have already lifted the Sectional League Cup this season, said: “Ayr are flying but we’re doing really well too and in a one-off game anything can happen.
“We’ve got nothing to lose because we’re coming in as underdogs which is unusual for us. In most games we are the favourites by a country mile but this game will be the opposite.
“But we’ve seen it so many times in the Cup when the wee team gets a big result – sometimes it’s just your luck on the day.
“We look at it as a free hit so we’ll just go out and give it everything knowing there’s no pressure on any of our boys.”
Samson was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the Scottish Cup.