TWO Ayrshire rivals are set for their first competitive meeting in almost two years - and the stakes couldn't be much higher.
Irvine Meadow will host Troon FC on Saturday, March 21, in the League Cup semi-final, with kick off at 2pm.
It will be the first time the sides have faced off since the 2023/24 season, when Meadow were relegated from the WoSFL Premier Division.
That campaign saw Troon claim the bragging rights in both meetings, earning a 2-1 win at Portland Park on the opening day of the season before winning the reverse fixture 2-0 at Meadow Park in March 2024.
However, those matches provide very little insight into what to expect this weekend, with both teams' fortunes changing since then.
Following their relegation, Meadow failed to climb out of the First Division last season, as a disappointing campaign culminated in a 12th place finish.
However, the appointment of Jamie McKim as manager at the start of 2025 seems to have coincided with a drastic turnaround.
Little more than 14 months after his arrival, the Irvine outfit sit eight points clear atop the same division and would be well poised to regain their top league status even without the impending league reconstruction.
The Meadow Park men have only dropped points in five of 18 league matches so far - in draws with Benburb, Rob Roy and Kilbirnie Ladeside as well as a pair of defeats to Ardrossan Winton Rovers.
However, McKim's men will need to show improved form against Premier Division opposition if they are to claim their League Cup final place.
En route to the semis, Meadow have defeated Caledonian Locomotive and Threave Rovers, both of the Second Division, as well as fellow First Division clubs Cumbernauld United, Benburb and Muirkirk.
Irvine are yet to topple a Premier Division outfit in cup contests this season, falling to Cumnock Juniors in the South Challenge Cup and to Johnstone Burgh in the senior Scottish Cup.
If there is any time to break that run, Saturday would be the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.
While Meadow were relegated in 2024, Troon ended that same season in 12th place.
The Seasiders have been on an upward trajectory ever since and finished their last campaign in fourth.
This season looks like another possible improvement with Jimmy Kirkwood's men sitting atop the Premier Division heading into the final third of the campaign.
The Portland Park boss will be hoping that this fine form continues in the cup on Saturday as his team look to reach a first final since 2014.
That year, Troon won the old Super League First Division, earning promotion to the top tier, while reaching finals in the West of Scotland and Ayrshire Cups - winning in the latter.
The South Ayrshire side have faced a very different run to the semi-final, defeating fellow Premier Division teams in each of their ties so far.
Kirkwood's men knocked out Cumnock, Arthurlie, Beith and Drumchapel United to reach this stage, with Arthurlie the only match not to be won on penalties.
This will be just the second time this season Troon have taken on a First Division club, and they will be hoping for a more fruitful experience than their 2-1 Scottish Junior Cup loss to Benburb.
Speaking to the club's website, Kirkwood said: "It’s a day to look forward to, an occasion to savour but most importantly a match we are looking to win.
"It’ll be a typical Ayrshire derby match, I’m sure, but we need to focus on what we do and how we do it, and hope that is enough to get the result we are looking for."
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