Scottish Cup Second Round – Forty Clubs do Battle!

This weekend sees forty clubs, ten from the William Hill League2 and thirty from non-league football in action as they strive to join the twenty member clubs of the William Hill Championship and League1 in the third round draw of the Scottish Gas Mens Scottish Cup.

The ‘Loons’ as have been well documented entertain tier five side Berwick Rangers at the Alpha Projects Stadium @Station Park on Saturday and on paper will start firm favourites against the Shielfield outfit currently occupying 13th place in the Lowland League.

Seven other SPFL clubs face lower league opposition over the weekend, the action getting underway on Friday evening when the BBC Scotland cameras are in Castle Douglas as the only remaining South of Scotland League side left in the competition Threave Rovers entertain Chris Aitken’s Stranraer.

On to Saturday and four other League2 clubs have home advantage against sides who have survived round one ties four weeks back.

League leaders East Fife welcome ambitious Granite City outfit Banks O’Dee to the New Bayview, Bobby Linn and a host of ex Forfar Athletic players will be in the Lochee United squad who head to Peterhead following their victory over East Stirling last time round, struggling Cowdenbeath will find it difficult at Ainslie Park against Spartans, while East of Scotland second tier outfit Boness Athletic are Stirling Albion’s opponents at Forthbank.

Only two League2 sides face tricky away ties, against high flying outfits from the Highland League and East of Scotland Premier Division. Bonnyrigg Rose will not be relishing their trip to ‘K’ Park to meet Trust Trophy Quarter Finalists East Kilbride, while the ‘Fair City’ is the destination for Edinburgh City and tie against Jeanfield Swifts currently second in the East Premier and who of course thumped Elgin City 6-0 at the Riverside Stadium at this stage of the competition last season.

This time round, Elgin rejuvenated and a different prospect twelve months on under the management of Allan Hale are involved in the only all SPFL tie of the round, Darren Young due to mark his Clyde managerial debut with a visit to Boroughbriggs.

On to the eleven all non-league ties and three of them see Highland League sides ‘pit their wits’ against familiar opponents. One would imagine that with home advantage, Brechin City, Brora Rangers and Fraserburgh will start favourites in what look nevertheless to be potentially close and no doubt hard fought encounters against Huntly, Formartine United and Turriff United respectively. It’s two home ties and two away for the remaining Highland League sides. Keith will certainly find it tough against West of Scotland Premier League leaders Clydebank, eight wins out of eight to date even though they have home advantage, while Inverurie Loco Works will not be treating reigning Midlands Junior League champions Dundee North End lightly. Buckie Thistle, the reigning Highland champs, but struggling in mid division this season head for Sauchie Juniors, currently sitting fifth in the East Premier, while Clachnacuddin who have had their best start to a season for some time will no doubt find it hard going however at Prestonfield against Linlithgow Rose.

There a couple of real tasty looking ties amongst the remaining four matches. Musselburgh Athletic leaders of the East of Scotland Premier League are at home to early Lowland League pace setters Caledonian Braves, former ‘Loons’ player Ricky Waddell the Strathclyde Park side’s long serving coach, while Auchinleck Talbot, serial trophy winners welcome Broxburn Athletic who currently occupy sixth position in their debut season in the Lowland League to Beechwood Park.

The remaining ties see Lowland League outfits on their travels, Boness United over the Forth to face up to Hill of Beath Hawthorn, capital city outfit Civil Service Strollers making the slightly longer journey, their opponents Irvine Meadow these days languishing in the lower reaches of West of Scotland Division One.

A reminder that a full preview of the Station Park visit of Berwick Rangers will appear on FAFC social media channels on Friday.