if they are the same diameter as siderail nails then just us the siderail nails cut short.
fill the holes with matches and PVA glue, let it dry then drill a pilot hole and tap them in.
Thanks for the idea but the side rails nails are probably twice a thick which could be overcome by just drilling a larger diameter hole but the real problem is the nail head on the side rail nail. They are much larger also and would not sit almost flush like these one do. They would have an impact on the way the ball travelled when they past them.
