After the excitement of last weekend’s Scottish Junior Cup, we are back to league action and back on the road to our old friends at Townhead Park and Cumnock Juniors for our 10th Scottish Lowland Football League match of the season.
⚽️ Cumnock Juniors versus Troon F.C. ⚽️
Wednesday 23rd September 2026
Scottish Lowland Football League (West)
Townhead Park, Cumnock
Kick-off 7.45pm
Saturday was a frustrating day all round with the late cancellation of our Scottish Communities Cup 2nd round tie against Drumchapel United. We hadn’t heard anything from Drumchapel all week, and got our first phone call from them at 9:20 on Saturday morning saying they were having issues fielding a team, before the final call was made at 10:45 that they were unable to field a team and were forfeiting the tie. Really difficult position for that club to find themselves in and we sympathise with that, and we hope they get themselves sorted out to be able to refocus and move on. They appointed their U20s Coach as Manager on Sunday, so hopefully that is going to be a launchpad for them to get themselves sorted for the rest of the season and beyond.
It was a huge blow to the club, as this was our only cup tie of the season so far that was drawn at home, and our Chairman was left counting the cost of that cancellation with a lot of prepared food, a full cellar and a lot of lost income from what was expected to be a busy crowd. But nothing we could do about it, we just have to move on.
A taxing looking September got off to the perfect start with two wins out of two and ten goals scored, and if you ignore a disappointing first half, the second half against Johnstone Burgh continues the hope. A spirited comeback and a superb goal from Dario got the crowd warmed up on a wild night and with momentum firmly in our favour we could have sneaked a draw.
Last Sunday’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup draw was a really exciting first for us, and we’ve now got a cracking away trip to look forward to as we head for Banff and Deveronvale. Jim is putting the plans in place just now with many planning a Friday night stay, hopefully we can look forward to a healthy travelling support as we head into unchartered territory for us. If you are interested in joining the travelling support, speak to Jim, John Redmond or Richard as soon as you can.
Cumnock mirrored ourselves last season; record league finish, promotion to the Lowland League & won a trophy in the South Challenge Cup. But they’ve mirrored ourselves again this season, in they haven’t had the start they would have wanted and are looking to pick up some results now. But a good team doesn’t become an average team overnight, and Manager Stephen Swift will be hoping their comfortable win on Saturday will propel them into some massive matches for them in the next fortnight, with two matches against big rivals Auchinleck Talbot coming up. The heat is on.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday’s match…
Whilst Saturday’s cancellation was disappointing, it has given us the opportunity to manage a few wee niggles ahead of Wednesday night’s match.
Martin McDonald was forced off against Johnstone Burgh after colliding with Jamie Mills. He saw Darrell on Saturday to work on the knock, and he should be fine for Wednesday. Lewis Allan has been working with Darrell to get back to fitness after suffering a knock on his knee, hopefully he shouldn’t be missing too much longer.
After the great news of Club Captain Mark Morrison‘s return after more than a year out with injury, we were able to welcome back Leyton Dunlop on Saturday in the second half at Newton Stewart. Both still making a staged comeback, don’t want to do too much too soon, but great to have them back on the pitch and in the reckoning.
Frustrating one on Saturday, and quite simply something entirely out of our hands. There was plenty of gossip late in the week about what might have been going on, but the end result is they’ve not found themselves in a great position and obviously we hope they can sort it out to focus on the rest of the season.
Not the way we foresaw our first Scottish Junior Cup weekend of the season going, but one we just have to regroup from and focus on an interesting looking week ahead of us.
We’ve had some really exciting clashes with Cumnock in recent seasons, a club we get on very well with off the pitch. There has been very little to separate the two sides of late, last season being the perfect example with each club winning 1-0 away from home in the league and the Cup match going down to penalties, so there is nothing to suggest this week’s match is going to be any different. Both teams have even started the season in similar fashion, so another tight encounter is anticipated.
The Scottish Gas Scottish Cup draw is almost like an old fashioned Junior Cup draw with us heading north to Banff. Another tough draw, a very decent Highland League side, but the “big Scottish” is a new experience for us and I’m really looking forward to it. The Chairman is putting travel plans together, anyone who wants to be part of this historic trip make sure you speak to him ASAP and don’t miss out.
‘MON THE TROON!!
Jimmy Kirkwood (Team Manager)
| Full Name | Cumnock Juniors Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | The ‘Nock |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Ground | Townhead Park, Cumnock |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| President | Kevin Orr |
| Manager | Stephen Swift |
| Captain | Robbie Buchanan |
| 2025-26 | WOSFL Premier Division, 2nd from 16 |
⚽️️ TOMAS BRINDLEY ⚽️
The 24 year old was a signing which went under the radar last summer from Stranraer, but he has settled in well at left-back turning in some eye-catching displays.
Tomas began his professional career with Kilmarnock, enjoying loan spells with Dumbarton and Forfar Athletic, before he joined Forfar permanently in 2022. He moved on to Stair Park after two seasons at Station Park, before he left for Townhead last July.
An experienced player for one so young, his ability causes problems from the flank and his delivery can cause real problems. One to watch from out wide.
⚽️️ ROBBIE BUCHANAN ⚽️
The 30 year old is a vital player for the ‘Nock, and he is the heartbeat of their midfield and the one who makes them tick.
Began his senior career in the Rangers Youth Academy before moving on to Hearts, where he spent 8 seasons coming through to the periphery of the first team, making 4 appearances for the Jambos. Loan moves at Cowdenbeath and Brechin City helped get him ready for first team football, before he moved to Cowdenbeath permanently in 2017. After five seasons (and 171 appearances) at the Blue Brazil, he headed for Newlandsfield and Pollok for a season before he settled at Townhead Park in the summer of 2023.
Originally a forward, Robbie has become one of the top central midfielders in the Lowland League West, the real driving force in the ‘Nock midfield.
In a team with a number of flair players, Robbie has given Stephen Swift’s men bite and substance – a solid platform to start from.
CUMNOCK JUNIORS
Last 5 Matches
| 19th Sep | Cumnock Juniors | 3-0 | Dundee Violet | Scottish Communities Cup Round 2 |
| 16th Sep | Cumnock Juniors | 2-0 | Beith Juniors | Lowland League (West) |
| 12th Sep | Dalbeattie Star | 1-6 | Cumnock Juniors | Lowland League (West) |
| 5th Sep | Cumnock Juniors | 1-1 (11-13 on pens) | St. Cadoc’s | South Challenge Cup R2 |
| 29th Aug | Cumnock Juniors | 5-0 | Newton Stewart | Lowland League (West) |
| 21st Aug | Celtic B | 4-1 | Cumnock Juniors | Lowland League (West) |
TROON F.C.
Last 5 Matches
If you can’t make it along to the game, you can keep up to date with all the latest info via the club’s social media channels:
X / TWITTER
Live updates from the official Troon F.C. Twitter feed
Match news via the official Troon F.C. Facebook page
TIKTOK
Our newest addition! Watch some official Troon F.C. clips on our TikTok feed
All news on the club FIRST via the official Troon F.C. WhatsApp Supporter’s Group chat
As ever, the teams were evenly matched last season, with both sides enjoying a 1-0 away victory in the league encounters. Even the West of Scotland Cup match struggled to separate the sides, before the Seasiders eventually triumphed after a penalty shoot-out.
AWAY MATCH
| CUMNOCK JUNIORS | 0-1 | TROON F.C. |
| Townhead Park, Cumnock | Wednesday 13th August 2025 | WOSFL Premier Division |
The first encounter of 2025-26 was a really gritty match at Townhead.
The first half proved to be a scrappy affair, Cumnock looking the more composed in possession but lacking a clinical edge. Troon lacked any rhythm and the game fell into a midfield battle as the two sides cancelled each other out.
Troon emerged from the interval with purpose and the breakthrough came in the 51st minute, a Kieran MacDonald free-kick finding Callan Veitch who finished at the second attempt. Troon looked to be keeping Cumnock at bay until a controversial red card for Jack Sherrie, but the 10 men Seasiders held on for the 3 points.
HOME MATCH
| TROON F.C. | 0-1 | CUMNOCK JUNIORS |
| Portland Park, Troon | Saturday 21st February 2026 | WOSFL Premier Division |
In the return match in February, Cumnock dealt what ended up being a knockout blow to Troon’s title ambitions with a late winner in another competitive tie.
The first half was a tight affair, with neither side giving an inch in a tense battle. The decisive moment came on 63 minutes – and cruelly for the hosts, it stemmed from their own corner. Dunlop’s delivery failed to find a Troon head, and the ball broke to Thomas Orr. Rather than commit a tactical foul in transition, Troon’s naïveté allowed play to continue and Jamie Conn was slipped through, winning a foot race with Morrison before firing through the legs of Dale Burgess to silence the home support.
CUP MATCH
| TROON F.C. | 2-2 (Troon win 5-3 on penalties) | CUMNOCK JUNIORS |
| Portland Park, Troon | Saturday 1st November 2025 | Strathclyde Demo West of Scotland Cup |
Troon booked their place in the third round of the Strathclyde Demolition WOSFL Cup after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Cumnock at a blustery Portland Park, with stand-in goalkeeper Marc Fisher the hero of the afternoon.
Quite the opposite of the two tense league encounters, this game burst into life right from kick-off thanks to a 5th minute goal from Jack Sherrie. Cumnock literally went right up the park and equalised right from kick-off thanks to Dylan Dykes, before Lewis Lovering gave the hosts a half-time lead thanks to a trademark 35th minute bullet header.
Alex McCaw equalised just a few minutes after the restart, but Troon were growing in stature and looked the most likely to win the game, before Kyle Faulds’ needless red card on the hour match which handed the initiative to the visitors but the Seasiders saw the 90 minutes out.
And on to penalties, and Marc Fisher stepped into the spotlight. The Troon stopper produced two superb saves to hand his side the advantage before young Craig Watson confidently tucked away the decisive fifth kick, sparking jubilant celebrations around Portland Park.
(before this week’s matches)
| REFEREE: | ||
| Brent Falconer | ||
| Assistant Referee 1: | Assistant Referee 2: | |
| Gary Robertson | Jamie Shepherd |
| Referee Observer: | To be confirmed |
For travelling supporters, our media team have put together a number of new “Supporter’s Travel Guides” for directions and helpful tips to an away day:
You can find out all about the match itself by visiting the match centre both before and after the game, with the team line-ups, scorers & bookings on the specific match page for the fixture.
To visit the match centre, CLICK HERE.
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Kilwinning Rangers ⚽️
Saturday 26th September 2026
Scottish Lowland Football League (West)
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 3pm