MATCH PREVIEW: William Hill Scottish Cup – Third Round

Following on an undoubted improved performance at Stair Park last weekend, the ‘Loons’ head to the National Stadium this Saturday to tackle Queens Park in the third round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

It will be the second clash between the sides this season after they were also paired in the first round of the League Cup away back on the first Saturday in August.   On that occasion it was Forfar who came out on top courtesy of goals from Danny Denholm and Derek Young, but as they say ‘a lot of water has gone under the bridge’ since then.

The Station Park men head west still seeking their first win since September 12^th and they will have to go into ‘battle’ on Saturday without all three loan players.   Aberdeen, Dundee and Hibernian have all refused permission for Michael Rose, Andrew Black and Scott Martin respectively to play and consequently be cup tied.

Martyn Fotheringham and Chris Templeman are the likely experienced replacements in the starting line-up for Rose and Martin with Thomas O’Brien stepping back into a defensive role.

The bench will consequently comprise players from the Development Squad, all of whom were in fine fettle to be fair at Alloa on Monday night.

There is however a chance that Michael Travis could be handed a substitute berth, depending on how he reacts to a second full training session in a week, following his month long lay-off.

Queens Park who defeated Stirling University in round two have had to date a fairly successful season and will no doubt be approaching the tie full of confidence.

They sit fourth in the Ladbrokes League 2, with 22 points from their 14 games played, five points adrift of leaders Annan Athletic.

Gus McPherson’s side also reached the semi-final of the Petrofac Cup before losing 2-1 at home to Peterhead two weeks back.   Since that reversal they have secured two league victories, their 6-1 thumping of Montrose at Links Park last midweek, their best away result in 45 years!

Saturday’s tie will be refereed by the experienced John McKendrick.

If the game at Hampden on Saturday ends in a draw by the way, the replay would be staged at Station Park on Saturday December 5^th.

Elsewhere on Saturday there are a host of entertaining ties.

The other two Angus clubs still in the competition are also both on their travels.   Arbroath will be hoping to make it three defeats in a week for Cowdenbeath, while Brechin City will obviously have to be at their best to overcome Airdrie.

The tie of the round is undoubtedly at Somerset Park where the top two teams in the Labrokes League 1 Ayr United and Dunfermline Athletic clash.   It will in fact be a dress rehearsal for their league encounter in a fortnight, these two games giving perhaps a clearer indication of who might be crowned champions come the end of April next year.

There are intriguingly three all non league clashes, with the tightest likely to be the meeting at North Lodge Park Pitmedden of two of the Highland League heavy weights Formartine United and Cove Rangers.   Cove came out top by the only goal of the game in a hard fought contest in the league last month and having gone 17 games unbeaten on league duty may again start as slight favourites.

The only junior side left in the tournament Linlithgow Rose make the 250 mile plus trek to face Wick Academy having been in Inverness to meet Clachnacuddin in the last round.   Rose are not having their best season and the Highland side who clinched the North of Scotland Cup with an astounding 6-2 win over Nairn County last weekend may just edge it.

Lothian Thistle Hutchsion Vale, conquerors of Montrose in round two head for Huntly.   The Christie Park club currently sit third bottom of the Highland League and if the Edinburgh outfit can repeat their Links Park heroics, a fourth round slot beckons.

The three other Highland outfits left in the competition all have difficult tasks.   Inverurie Loco Works are the only one with home advantage, but Ladbrokes League 2 leaders Annan Athletic should still progress.    Buckie Thistle are another side who will ‘clock up the miles’ as they head the length of the country to face Stranraer, while Fraserburgh who did so well to overcome Turriff at Haugh Park in the last round will find it tough to say the least away to the highest placed club in the draw Falkirk.

There are also two other Lowland League clubs still in the tournament and they too will on paper find it hard going, having both landed away ties, although in both instances with shorter journeys to endure than many.   In fact Cumbernauld Colts who stunned Auchinleck Talbot in round two have a local derby at Forthbank against Stirling Albion, while East Kilbride, like Cumbernauld in at this stage of the national ‘tourney’ for the first time head to Ochilview to face Stenhousemuir.   Both these ties are certainly potential ‘banana skins’ for the league sides, but they should have the fire power and experience to survive the ordeal.

There is one all Championship clash, Dumbarton favourites to overcome bottom of the table Alloa Athletic on home soil, while the other three ties see Championship sides travel to face lower league opposition. Elgin City have been in great form at Boroughbriggs this term, but Raith Rovers may prove ‘to hot to handle’ for Jim Weir’s ever improving side, while also up north Peterhead on the back of their seven goal romp last weekend will fancy their chances against Livingston at Balmoor.    Finally Morton will no doubt not be looking forward to their visit to Cliftonhill, never an easy place to go to, especially with Darren Young’s side defying all the pre-season predictions that they would be propping up the Ladborkes League 2 table.