Graeme Stewart has rubbished suggestions Buckie Thistle’s SPFL Trust Trophy tie against Linfield is a free hit for the Breedon Highland League side.
The Jags will start as underdogs when the Northern Irish champions visit Victoria Park in round three of the Challenge Cup this afternoon.
But boss Stewart fancies their chances of causing and upset.
He said: “People say it’s a free hit, but I’m not interested in free hits. I want to put on a good show and get a result.
“If we could get through you could say it would be Buckie’s best result in a national competition.
“I don’t want players getting too relaxed and not caring about the result.
“I look at the upsides – if we win the game the players get recognition, the club gets recognition, you get through to the next round, the players make more money in win bonuses, it’s all positives for winning.
“Forget free hits, if we don’t win the club misses out on revenue and exposure because we’re not through to the next round and the players don’t get a bonus.
“It’s all positives from winning; it’s builds confidence, we can kick on from it in the league.
“Winning is huge for us and if we can get a result it could make a big difference to our season.”
Family connection
Stewart has been busy researching Linfield and has also tried to pick the brain of his father-in-law Jimmy Nicholl, who is Northern Ireland’s assistant manager.
Stewart added: “He has given me a couple of pointers, but he’s away on international duty so I’ve tried not to bother him too much.
“His loyalties might be split anyway! He’ll help where he can but Northern Ireland have got big games and I wouldn’t want to distract him by asking him about our game.”
Brechin City are also in Challenge Cup action and face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Highland capital.