Wick Academy manager Gordon Connelly believes the loss of home advantage can work in his players’ favour when they face Linlithgow Rose in their William Hill Scottish Cup third round replay tonight (7.30pm).
Highland League club Wick and their loyal supporters face a mammoth 520-mile round trip today to face Linlithgow, who have won the Scottish Junior Cup on four occasions.
Last Wednesday the teams drew 2-2 at Harmsworth Park, with Academy securing a second chance thanks to Davie Allan’s equaliser in the second minute of added time.
With the carrot of a home fourth round tie against Forfar, who yesterday appointed Gary Bollan as their new manager, Academy need no greater incentive to get the job done at the second time of asking.
Academy manager Gordon Connelly said: “We will go there like we did against Whitehill Welfare earlier in the competition.
“I think that it will be a good game because they are a cracking side.
“The first game was played in a great spirit between two good footballing sides but it will probably be a better game there as they have a good surface and a big park.”
Reflecting on the long journey to Lothian, the former Dunfermline and Ross County midfielder added: “They had a real upheaval having had to come here last week and we have it all to do ourselves in the replay.
“However, we might be quite fortunate in that it’s Christmas holiday time, so perhaps we will get more of the boys off their work, we’ll have to see.
“Linlithgow do have a couple of players coming back into their squad who weren’t at Wick last week, so they will be stronger. However, we are in the Scottish Cup to go as far as we can in the competition.
“Both sides are more than capable of winning in the next round against Forfar, so it should be a cracking cup tie which could go all the way to extra time and even a penalty shootout.”
Wick welcome back prolific forward Gary Weir after suspension but it looks like midfielder Ross Allan, who picked up a straight red card in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Huntly, may have to sit this one out, if the offence, as expected, is recorded as violent conduct.
However, defender Michael Steven, who also headed for an early bath at Christie Park on Saturday afternoon, is available for selection as he only picked up two yellow cards.