Rothes midfielder Dale Gillespie is under no illusions as to how difficult it is going to be for the Speysiders against Highland League title favourites Cove Rangers at Mackessack Park tonight.
Despite the 6-0 home win against Lossiemouth on Saturday, the experienced Gillespie said: “Cove seem to be beating everyone pretty convincingly recently. They beat Keith 6-2 last Saturday after a 7-1 win against reigning champions Buckie Thistle in midweek, so they appear to be scoring goals for fun.
“If we can get anything at all out of tomorrow night’s game it will be a real bonus for ourselves but the pressure is all on them.
“We have nothing to lose, no one expects us to stop them, and the way Cove are playing, even this early in the season, they would already appear to have the league sewn up.
“The fact that every other challenger appears to be beating every other, like Buckie Thistle bouncing back from the 7-1 defeat by Cove to end Fraserburgh’s winning streak with a 4-1 win at Victoria Park last weekend.
“On the same day, Formartine United went to Dudgeon Park and produced the shock result of the day by beating Brora Rangers 5-0, all of which helped Cove Rangers’ title prospects.”
The former Brora Ran-gers midfield man added: “We scored goals from all over the park when we beat Lossie last Saturday.
“I’m really enjoying my football at Rothes, it’s a lot different atmosphere from Brora Rangers, in terms of what we are trying to achieve here, so there’s no pressure on me whatsoever. I’m actually enjoying trying to help the younger players in the side. That is a completely different kind of pressure, but it’s good.
“They are a great bunch of guys, many of whom I didn’t really know before, but we get on well together and we’ve had some decent results so far this season.”