Irvine Meadow co-boss Colin Spence wasn't surprised to see teenage prospect Brandon Holland mix it with some of Bankies' best players on Saturday.
The 17-year-old midfielder made the step up to the first team from the U20s development side as Meadow slipped to a 2-0 home defeat against Clydebank.
Despite the result, Holland more than held his own in a midfield packed with top talent.
And having watched the youngster in training, co-boss Spence was always confident he could shine on the big stage.
He said: “There will not be many young boys at 17-year-old who play for Irvine Meadow. He can be really proud of his performance. I thought he was excellent.
“Clydebank have got seasoned pros in the middle of the park. They’re top players at this level and Brandon went in there and didn’t look out of place.
“He’s been knocking on the door for a few weeks to be fair. We’ve resisted the temptation to throw him in but we felt, missing a few boys, that it was sink or swim and he certainly swam.
“A lot of young kids come in and they take a while to come out their shell but Brandon isn’t like that. I thought he was really strong."
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