The Scottish Cup dreams continue this weekend and we also have one cracking league fixture coming your way
East Stirlingshire vs Kelty Hearts
By Ronan Alexander
The only Lowland League fixture this weekend gets underway this evening as two of the league’s high-flyers meet at the Falkirk Stadium.
Kelty can climb to the top of the table with three points and Shire can leapfrog BSC Glasgow into third place if they come out victorious.
After suffering back to back defeats against Bonnyrigg and East Kilbride, Derek Ure’s men have won six of their last seven matches including five straight victories in the league. Jamie Dishington has been at the heart of Shire’s good run including scoring four goals from midfield against Vale of Leithen with his tally now at eight for the season.
Barry Ferguson’s men bounced back from Scottish Cup disappointment against Auchinleck Talbot by winning three matches on the bounce including last week’s cup triumph over Civil Service Strollers with Nathan Austin’s brace separating the sides.
It was a thriller when the sides met here last season, as the game ended 3-3. Match highlights below.
Ones to watch
East Stirlingshire – Jamie Dishington
Kelty Hearts – Nathan Austin
Bonnyrigg Rose vs Buckie Thistle
By Damon Main
If last weekend’s South Challenge Cup win over Threave was a little bit of a break from the pressures of Lowland league football then the Scottish Cup tie against Buckie Thistle this Friday is destined to be even more of a change for the Midlothian side.
Not that Bonnyrigg are strangers to matches against Highland league sides in the Scottish Cup competition. Cove Rangers, Deveronvale and Fraserburgh have all played against ‘Rose in the Scottish Cup over the last 10 years with results at best ‘mixed’ for the former Junior side.
Even if those results against Highland League opposition have been inconsistent the same could never be said for this seasons Lowland League form. An impressive run of results sees Bonnyrigg Rose sit top of the SLFL with 9 wins from 11 matches.
However, a quick look north some 197 miles will show that this weekend’s Scottish Cup tie may well be the toughest test Bonnyrigg face so far this season. Incredibly Buckie Thistle sit on top of the Highland League with an almost identical record to Bonnyrigg in terms of wins and goals scored. Moroever, thanks to the 1st Round win over Civil Service Strollers, Graeme Stewart’s Moray side have recent experience of Lowland League opposition a fact which will surely stand them in good shape for the near 200 mile trip.
With anticipation in the Midlothian town high this week Bonnyrigg will again look to Scott Gray, George Hunter and the goalscoring Martynuik to carry on the superb recent form they have all displayed in the League and cups. With BBC cameras due to broadcast the Friday night game live from the intimate New Dundas Park, home manager Robbie Horn will be eager for his top performers to rise to the occasion and treat the huge crowd expected to a win.
Despite manager Graeme Stewart calling Buckie Thistle the ‘underdogs’ in this tie the bus load of Buckie fans due to make the trip down so know that Buckie Thistle have a great chance of progressing. Stewart’s men will be hoping to send the travelling group home happy with another money spinning tie to look forward to come the 3rd round draw.
Ones to watch
Bonnyrigg Rose – Kieran McGachie
Buckie Thistle – Sam Urquhart
lochee united vs bsc glasgow
By Martin Fleming
Stephen Swift’s BSC men travel to Dundee to face East Region Junior side Lochee United in their first Scottish Cup game.
Last year, BSC luckily received a bye for the first round due to Selkirk’s withdrawal and went straight into a second round tie with Cumbernauld Colts. That 4-1 victory allowed them a massive fixture to Forfar Athletic in the clubs first ever third round match in the Scottish Cup. Despite being able to fight off the League One side for 70 minutes, Forfar grabbed 2 late goals.
Despite the good form of BSC, Lochee could still be a potential banana skin. The Dundee side sit third in the East Region North Superleague and are so far undefeated at home. Their last league outing was a 2-1 victory over Scone Thistle who are hot on their tails and last weekend they secured a next round in the Quest Engineering Cup defeating Dundee Violet 4-0.
The last time Lochee were in the Scottish Cup was 2008 as the first ever Dundee Junior team in the competition. Handing defeats to Bathgate Thistle and Buckie Thistle landed them the third round with Ayr United holding them to a 1-1 draw but suffering a 3-1 defeat in the replay.
BSC Glasgow will hope to use their recent run of fantastic form and put any dreams of another Lochee United Scottish Cup upset to bed.
Ones to Watch
Lochee United – Logan Davie
BSC Glasgow – Jamie McCormack
East Kilbride vs Gretna 2008
By Liam Govey
As the only all-Lowland League tie in the Scottish Cup 2nd Round, Gretna’s visit to East Kilbride on Saturday ensures at least one Lowland League side will be in the hat for the 3rd Round draw. Both sides have endured challenging starts in the league, East Kilbride sitting in 7th having won the title last season. The Anvils are winless in the league so far, having only amassed two points in their nine games.
The cup may provide some welcome respite from two difficult league campaigns, though East Kilbride will be heavy favourites. EK received a bye to this stage of the tournament as holders of the Lowland League. Gretna on the other hand enjoyed a rare victory over Hill of Beath Hawthorn in the 1st Round, seeing off the Fife side 1-0 with a Daniel Smales goal at Raydale Park.
In fact, the cup seems to have given Gretna the most joy this season, with the Anvils having seen of Newtongrange star 2-1 at Raydale Park in the Football Nation Qualifying Cup last weekend. EK themselves saw off Easthouses Lily with a comfortable 4-0 victory away from home. The two sides will meet for the first time this season, with EK having completed a double over Gretna (5-0 & 0-2).
Ones to Watch
East Kilbride – Kieran McGrath
Gretna 2008 – Daniel Smales
Elgin City vs Berwick Rangers
By Ronan Alexander
Berwick Rangers make a familiar trip up to Borough Briggs to take on Elgin City in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup clash.
The two side’s have met regularly over the past few years, with Elgin coming out on top when they last met on the final day of last season with the black and whites winning 2-0.
Elgin currently sit mid-table in League 2 having collected nine points from their nine games so far. They come into the match off the back of an impressive 3-1 away victory over Albion Rovers in the league a fortnight ago, before an even better win against League 1 outfit Airdrieonians in the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup. Shane Sutherland has been the main man in front of goal with 15 goals in 17 matches in all competitions.
Meanwhile, the Wee Gers are currently without a win in six matches as their win over Edinburgh University in August was the last time they tasted success. Attacking trio Daryl Healy, Grant Rose and Yaw Osei will be looking to unlock Elgin’s defence.
Ones to watch
Elgin City – Kane Hester
Berwick Rangers – Daryl Healy
SPARTANS vs QUEEN’S PARK
By Craig Edwards
The Spiders make a second trip of the season to Ainslie Park but this time face Lowland League side Spartans in the second round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.
Spartans, who needed a replay, once it beat the weather, to knock out Highland League side Deveronvale in the first round of the competition will be hoping to go one step further than they did last year.
Dougie Samuel’s side were knocked out at K Park by East Kilbride a year ago.
Queen’s Park reached the third round of the competition last year before being knocked out by Raith Rovers and currently sit seventh in the Scottish League Two table however, they have not tasted victory in two months since a 3-0 win over Brechin City back in August.
These two sides have faced each other in this competition before back in 2006 and Spartans will hope history repeats itself on Saturday.
Ones to watch
Spartans – Jordan Caddow
Queen’s Park – Tommy Block
formartine united vs gala fairydean rovers
By Martin Fleming
The Galashiels men make the long arduous journey to Pitmedden, Aberdeenshire to play Highland League side, Formartine United in the hopes of finding a third round place for the second year in a row.
After defeating Dalbeattie Star 3-1 in the first round, The Fairydean will look to last years Scottish Cup for inspiration. Having hammered Highland League side Lossiemouth in the first round, they then upset East Stirlingshire with 2-0 win in the second. However it was another Lowland outfit in East Kilbride that put them out after a 1-0 defeat at K-Park in the third round.
Formartine currently sit 6th in the Highland League and received a second round spot after thumping fellow Highland side Turriff United 5-1. Last year, they handed League Two’s Albion Rovers a 2-0 upset in the second round and secured a massive fixture with Queen of the South which ended in a 4-1 defeat.
Both sides will be desperate for a consecutive third round place but it’s anyone’s guess which way this fixture could go.
Ones to Watch
Formartine United – Darryn Kelly
Gala Fairydean Rovers – Mendes Yafa
UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING vs LINLITHGOW ROSE
By Craig Edwards
There is Sunday action in the William Hill Scottish Cup as Linlithgow Rose make the trip to Forthbank Stadium to face University of Stirling.
Both sides reached the second round following victories over Highland League opposition as University of Stirling came out on top in a five goal thriller against Keith while Rose knocked out Huntly by a solitary goal.
Linlithgow’s Scottish Cup journey ended 12 months ago in this round as they were beaten by Beith Juniors.
University of Stirling reached the third round last season and will be hoping to replicate that in this season’s competition.
The game is the final one of the round due to Stirling Albion also playing at Forthbank this weekend but it has the potential to be a cracker as the Lowland League side welcome one of the East of Scotland Premier Division promotion challengers.
Linlithgow also appointed new manager Brown Ferguson who will be looking to make an instant impact at his new club.
