The BCS Vinyl Hospital Cup makes its seasonal bow on Sunday evening with nine of the competition’s 10 preliminary round ties set to be played.
The tournament offers a last shot at silverware for many as the 2013-14 campaign enters its final straight.
Holders St George’s Grand Slam bid remains very much in tact and the Glencrutchery Road juggernauts begin their title defence against Castletown, the first of two meetings between the pair in just four days.
Town are rooted to the foot of the Premier League and shouldn’t stand in the way of the eight-time winners.
Last year’s beaten finalists Union Mills should also make it through to the first-round proper, but will need to do a professional job away at Division Two Malew, with the latter eager to pull off a shock.
Other potential banana skins lay in store for top-flight duo Corinthians and St John’s.
The pair travel to Douglas Athletic and Douglas Royal respectively and will need to rein in some of their inconsistency if they are to avoid falling at the competition’s first hurdle.
Relegation-threatened RYCOB will also have to stay on their mettle when they make the trip to Foxdale.
Dale have struggled at the wrong end of the Division Two table all season, but may just pull a result out of the bag against a Youthie side that might be pre-occupied with securing its top-flight safety.
Elsewhere there’s an intriguing all-Premier League tie at Balleira Road where Michael United face FA Cup finalists Ramsey.
The pair have won one league encounter apiece indicating this could go either way.
The round’s only all Div Two affair pits promotion-chasing Ayre against Ronaldsway.
Premier League big boys St Mary’s and Rushen will feel confident of advancing past Braddan and Pulrose while Lasey’s tie with Onchan is postponed with the latter in Woods Cup action against Gymns on Saturday afternoon.