Kirkintilloch Rob Roy boss Stewart Maxwell keeping faith with kids

Having opted to go with younger players last season, Maxwell is reluctant to put the brakes on what he very much regards as a work in progress.

He said: “There's not been much change and, across the board, I don't think many teams will make changes.

“We've let some players go that weren’t playing and two of the squad we’ve signed are on development contracts so they will dovetail between us and the 20s.

“We’ve got high hopes for these boys going forward and that will hopefully be the start of the conveyor belt from the 20s because we’ve got some good players there.

“We've got a good 20s manager in Danny Ferrie and he's starting to churn out some good players because it's important to have a pathway and progression into the first team."

“With the message I sent out last year, it would be very hypocritical of me if I hadn't stuck by that that model and that template.”

Maxwell believes Rob Roy will reap the rewards of his policy once his kids gain experience.

He said: “I firmly believe this crop of players, if they're kept together and progress the way that we think they can, have got massive potential.

“They are a very good footballing side. Where we think they need to improve is out of possession, to work a wee bit harder. That's not a slant on attitude, that's just a mindset, but on the ball they’re terrific.”