Elgin City attacker Shane Sutherland says the prospect of a plum fourth round tie makes it vital they do a professional job against today’s Scottish Cup opponents Stirling University.
League 2 side City are strong favourites in today’s encounter at Forthbank, against a Stirling side currently 13th in the Lowland League.
Sutherland was part of an Elgin side that narrowly lost 2-1 against his former club Caley Thistle at the fourth round stage in 2017, in front of a bumper crowd of 3,624 at Borough Briggs.
The 28-year-old is eager to secure a place in this evening’s last-32 draw, and he said: “For every player it’s a great opportunity to get into the fourth round where all the big boys come in. There are teams there that some boys might never have played against, or might not get the chance to again.
“We played Inverness two years ago and there was a great crowd at Borough Briggs.
“Although we could get bigger teams than that, it was a great atmosphere for the boys to play in against a team from not too far along the road. We did well and were unlucky to lose 2-1.
“Personally I see this as another opportunity to get into the fourth round where we would probably be playing against a higher league side. That gives players the chance to showcase their abilities individually, and as a team.”
Elgin are looking to bounce back from successive home defeats against Berwick Rangers and Clyde, and Sutherland believes today’s non-league opponents will be eyeing a scalp against Gavin Price’s men.
He added: “It’s a break from the league, but there is that extra bit of pressure on us. We are stronger favourites than any other week this season, so it’s a no-win situation as we are expected to win.
“The manager has had them watched and they can cause us problems. We can’t go down there with the mentality it’s going to be an easy game.”