Boss Allan Hale reckons his Elgin City side have had a rough deal when it comes to scheduling in this month’s Premier Sports Cup.
The Black and Whites can no longer reach the last 16 after collecting two just points from their first three games in Group C.
Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at League Two rivals Peterhead ended any faint chance of progression and they finish off on Tuesday night away to Championship hosts Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden.
The Spiders, who have three points from two ties, will be chasing a second win before hosting Kelty Hearts this weekend for their chance to reach the knockout stages.
Heavy workload takes its toll
Hale admits the twice-weekly competitive ties, which included a 5-0 loss against Premiership Hibs and a bonus point win over League One Kelty Hearts, has been demanding on his League Two squad.
He said: “Tuesday’s game is another competitive tie where we will try to get as many players game-time as we can.
“It’s another long trek, this time midweek, with tired minds and bodies. We’ve had an aggressive schedule and we’ll make a few changes again to hopefully go with a team that can be competitive.
“The other teams in our group have already had a rest day, whereas we’ve been been Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday since it started.
“Putting that load on to the players at this early stage of the season has an impact, because we’re still preparing the players for the long season ahead.
“That’s why we’ve tried to make three or four changes in every game, to try to keep things fresh.
“With a couple of injuries and suspension at the weekend there, it’s not ideal, but that’s the way the fixtures have been dealt, so you’ve got to get on with it.”
Spiders will be sharp, says Hale
While Elgin have added quality to their ranks this summer, second-tier Queen’s Park have signed Roddy MacGregor from Inverness, and Dundee duo Cammy Kerr and Zak Rudden, along with keeper Jack Wills on loan from St Johnstone.
Hale expects nothing less than a testing tie against their higher ranked hosts, but says staying organised will give them their best chance in Glasgow.
He said: “Tuesday will be a tough game. Queen’s Park are a full-time Championship side and they’ve had a rest day.
“They will be fresher and sharper, but we must ensure we’re organised and we defend well, and when we do get opportunities, we take them.
“So, while it’s a tough game, it will be a good one for us to end of preparations ahead of our first League Two game (on Saturday, August 3, at home to East Fife).”
Given the workload already put in by the Elgin squad in recent weeks, they have called off their Saturday friendly against Highland League side Nairn County, with rest, recuperation and training the plan until the league opener.
‘Only played well for half an hour’
Reflecting on Saturday’s topsy-turvy tie at Peterhead, in which they trailed, led then lost, Hale added: “We didn’t play to our own capabilities for long enough within the game.
“When you come up against a quality team like Peterhead, they have the players who can punish you for any mistakes.
“We never quite hit the standards required to compete against a team like Peterhead. We only played for around half an hour, so that paints a picture of how it was.”