Manager Gavin Price insists Saturday’s home Scottish Cup showdown against Camelon Juniors is just as important to his League Two Elgin City side as it is to the visitors.
Last weekend’s 1-0 home slip-up against Forfar Athletic aside, it’s been a hugely encouraging rise in form by the Moray side of late.
The loss against the Loons ended a six-match unbeaten run, but they’re only one point outside the top four and seven points away from joint leaders Stirling Albion and Dumbarton.
Elgin, who are also in the fourth round of the SPFL Trust Trophy where they will tackle League 1 Clyde on December 10, will face East of Scotland First Division Camelon, who are plotting a shock despite being 14th in their league.
This would be seen as a bigger upset that last season when Clydebank, from the West of Scotland Premier Division, knocked Elgin out of the Scottish Cup in a replay at Borough Briggs, also at this stage.
Elgin eager to avoid fresh cup shock
Price knows it’s up to everyone at Elgin to be switched on and ready for a big performance from their visitors, who expect to take a vocal following up from the Forth Valley.
He said: “The Clydebank result last year is a reminder of what can happen in the cups.
“We’ve not had many results like that in my time at the club. We’ve always set up well. Clydebank are a good side, let’s not forget, playing in a strong division.
“We expect this will be like a cup final for Camelon, but we have to treat it like that as well. It’s so important we get through the tie. We have to be on top of our game.”
Cup progression means more money
It’s not only the chance of landing a tie against a higher-level team that is a lure at this point of the Scottish Cup.
Progression will boost the coffers of the club and the City manager knows his players will be keen to unpick the visitors in order to earn the victory.
He said: “It’s really important financially for the club that we get through to the next round. You can’t ask for any more than getting a home tie against a lower league side.
“It’s a game we’re favourites for, which is a different challenge for us, but it really is one our players should relish.
“The players are determined to make up for last week when we were off the boil a little bit in terms of the second half and the possession we had.
🎉 It was scenes of celebration in our last Scottish Cup fixture as we put 5️⃣ past Strathspey Thistle up in Grantown-on-Spey to advance through to the second round 🏴🏆
The team were on 🔥 that day pic.twitter.com/kwOS7YYvM5
— Camelon Juniors FC (@OfficialCJFC) October 18, 2022
“We struggled to break down Forfar as they sat deep. That’s something we’ll need to look at. It might be similar on Saturday and we have to find ways to break teams down when it’s like that.
“We’ve had a good period and we’ve scored a lot of goals. In the last two games, we’ve been a bit below par and still taken three points from those two games (having beaten Albion Rovers 1-0 on October 11).
“We have to try and get back to that free-flowing form. Saturday gives the players something else to focus on and hopefully we can enjoy it.”
Taylor banging in goals for visitors
Price has taken in a Camelon fixture in the build-up to this tie and he pin-pointed striker Mitch Taylor, with 13 goals in 14 games, as a key dangerman.
He added: “I’ve been to watch Camelon in a recent midweek game and we won’t be treating the tie lightly, that’s for sure.
“They’ve got forward players who can hurt us if we’re not switched on. We must make sure we’re professional and up for the challenge on Saturday, which I’m sure we will be.
“Mitch Taylor has been in fine form and he’s a very tricky player for Camelon. He’s very positive and can score goals, so we will have to be very mindful of him, but he’s not the only one.”
Captain Matthew Cooper, who has been missing since the 5-1 rout of Annan Athletic, is a doubt through injury.
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