East Kilbride boss Stuart Malcolm has praised Albion Rovers gaffer Kevin Harper for his Cliftonhill turnaround.
The former assistant manager in Coatbridge, who worked under Brian Kerr, is now the gaffer at the Lowland League champions.
Kilby will welcome Rovers for the Betfred Cup opener this Saturday, and Malcolm reckons it will be a great game with the quality Harper and assistant Joe McLaughlin have brought to the club.
He told the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser: “You have to come up against your former employers, that’s part of it.
“Personally I think Kevin and Joe have done a magnificent job there. They got the club at a very difficult time and did a superb job in keeping them up.
“By looking at their signings they have strengthened again this summer.
“It will be a very competitive game and we’re looking forward to it.
“I was obviously there with Brian and I enjoyed my time there. It was good, there were ups and downs, but my focus is trying to get East Kilbride into the league.
“We expect a tough game because of the way they ended the season and the quality they have brought in.
“I think they’ll improve from last year with the way Kevin has made them hard to beat.
“They were probably unlucky to not win a few more games than they did.”
Despite the beginning of the competitive action, Malcolm says his focus is still on fitness ahead of the Group H opener.
He says he is keen on making sure his players don’t run out of steam early in the campaign, and reckons the Cliftonhill management will be the same.
“A lot of the part-time clubs are the same as us,” Malcolm added.
“When the format first came in I think a lot of the part-time clubs tried to get everyone fit and bang on their game.
“It becomes problematic though in terms of injuries and numbers once they get through the Betfred games.
“For me in the Betfred games there was a lull around November time. The boys had worked so hard to get themselves up to speed for the cup games that when the league came around they hit that lull.
“We are very aware and mindful of that. Through my own experiences we will be using it as pre-season as well.
“We have to keep boys ticking over and working but our main goal is the league.
“All of this will be the same for Albion Rovers.
“Everyone wants to perform and win these games, and there is money involved, and we’re no different.
“If we don’t do well in the league then our chances of getting into the play-off again get slimmer and slimmer.”
He went on: “We are trying to stay ahead of the pack.
“We need to make sure we are the ones winning the league again. That’s the ambition.”
