The semi-finals of the Grill League Cup take place this weekend with two cracking ties in prospect at Aberdeen Sports Village and Glenury Park.
Bridge of Don Thistle entertain Dyce with both sides enjoying a rich vein of form ahead of what promises to be an extremely tight contest, although Jags boss Lewis Muirhead doesn’t see his side as necessarily the favourites.
He said: “To be fair, I think Dyce are a wee bit ahead of us in terms of work in progress and we have got an awful lot to do if we are to get into the final.
“We’ll really need to be on our toes for this one and with eight or nine new signings, we’re still learning regarding our strengths and weaknesses but we’ll be expecting the players we have on the park to put in a performance.”
Dyce manager Alfie Youngson said: “It’s two teams in pretty decent form and I expect it to be a really good cup tie.
“They’ve picked up this season and last season the two games we had with them were both very close.
“It’s a cup tie so the form book can go out of the window but I would see them, with home advantage, as slight favourites.”
With Nazam Abdulkarim back from suspension and Darren Reid available again, Dyce have a full squad to choose from.
In the other tie, Stonehaven will be keen to bounce back from last weekend’s narrow home defeat at the hands of Hermes when they welcome holders Culter, the team they eliminated on penalty kicks from last season’s national competition.
Leaders head to Maud
In the McBookie.com Premier League, leaders Sunnybank will be out to consolidate their position when they travel to Maud while Hermes know that, depending on results elsewhere, a positive outcome at Stoneywood Parkvale could see the Lochside Park outfit go top.
At the other end of the table Nairn St Ninian, the only team still to get off the mark, welcome Colony Park, currently on the one point mark, to Showfield, while Charlie Gordon Park is the venue for Newmachar United versus East End.
Ellon United travel to Buchanhaven Hearts and at College Park, it’s Fraserburgh United against Rothie Rovers, with a single point separating the two sides.
TODAYS CUP RESULTS pic.twitter.com/AArZcFznTh
— NorthRegionJFA (@JfaNorth) September 9, 2023
Championship leaders Banks o’ Dee JFC and New Elgin will be fed up of the sight of each other as they meet for the third week in succession, this time at Nicol-Togneri Park, with the Spain Park side having already triumphed in both the Scottish Junior Cup and North Regional Cup clashes.
Challengers Deveronside and Longside meet in Macduff while in-form Hall Russell United are on the road at Forest Park to face Burghead Thistle.
At Watson Park, Cruden Bay, still without a point, entertain Banchory St Ternan, Forres Thistle go to Glentanar and at School Park Whitehills will also be looking to get off the mark when they host Dufftown.
All games get under way at 2 pm.
