Boss Gavin Price insists Elgin City are well aware of the dangers Drumchapel United possess as the West of Scotland First Division contenders head north for a Scottish Cup showdown on Saturday.
The fourth-round tie brings the Glasgow side to Borough Briggs for a tie packed with danger, should the Moray team fall short.
Drumchapel are the lowest ranked outfit left in this season’s competition after they knocked out Easthouses Lily, Nairn County, Gretna 2008 and, most notably, League One opponents FC Edinburgh.
The draw has been kind so far to League Two Elgin, who have beaten East of Scotland League First Division side Camelon Juniors and Hill of Beath Hawthorn, of the East of Scotland League Premier Division, to reach round four.
Details for Saturday’s game and stadium details for Saturday. 🔴⚫️⚽️https://t.co/fFGYJmi6zk pic.twitter.com/TikdCBgbmn
— Drumchapel United (@DrumchapelU) January 18, 2023
Drumchapel’s stunning surge is one Price is fully aware of and their current form must be noted, with five wins on the spin.
They are third in their league, but top place is within their grasp should they win their games in hand.
Drumchapel have several notable names too. Former Partick Thistle and Stirling Albion forward Martin Grehan, ex-Hearts and Rangers winger David Templeton and midfielder Andy Geggan, formerly of Dunfermline Athletic and Ayr United, are all set to line up against City.
Elgin determined to make last 16
Price also pointed to ex-Hibs starlet Jack Breen, who impressed while on loan against Elgin when playing for Albion Rovers as someone who “stood out”.
Elgin’s players will be well-briefed on their weekend cup rivals, but manager Price explained it’s up to the hosts to ensure they are in Sunday’s night’s fifth-round draw.
He said: “Let’s not get away from the fact this is a huge opportunity for us to reach the last 16 of the Scottish Cup.
🗳️ The draw for the Fifth Round of the Men's Scottish Cup will take place at 6pm on Sunday evening.@gordonduncan7 and Shaun Maloney will join us in Hampden Park, and you can watch the draw live on our Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels.#ScottishCup
— Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) January 18, 2023
“The players have got to realise how important that is, and give their all on Saturday to ensure they can make some memories for the club, for themselves, and for our supporters.
“We will treat Drumchapel with caution, as we would regardless of who we were playing. We know the calibre of players they’ve got.
“They have players who have played at a really high level, surrounded by other very capable players. They will be expecting to get promoted to the West of Scotland Premier League this year.”
Gap closing between lower divisions
Price and assistant manager Jim Weir watched Drumchapel’s recent 3-2 victory against Cumbernauld United and seen at first-hand who their players will be up against.
He added: “Jim and I went to watch them play on Hogmanay and we’re well aware of what they’re capable of.
The Men's Scottish Cup returns this weekend, with 16 ties to look forward to 🙌#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/wV3IeISM9s
— Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) January 16, 2023
“We will need to concentrate on ourselves and make sure we’re at it. If we can do that then we will give ourselves a chance of winning the game, but there will be nothing taken for granted, that’s for sure.
“These games are always difficult and we have already seen that in earlier rounds of the competition. The gaps between these leagues and our own division gets closer all the time.”
On-loan Aberdeen duo Evan Towler and Aaron Reid as well as new signing Mitchell Taylor are cup-tied for Saturday, while Angus Mailer is suspended, but Rory MacEwan hopes to be back fit and ready again.
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