Ross County must hurdle a high-flying Aberdeen side to keep their Scottish Cup dreams alive tomorrow, but captain Paul Quinn is not fazed by the challenge posed by his former club.
The Staggies host a Dons side in excellent form having racked up six victories from their last seven games, with Derek McInnes’ side favourites for the last-16 tie.
County defeated Aberdeen 2-1 when the sides last met in Dingwall in December, with Ryan Dow scoring a late winner for Jim McIntyre’s side despite the dismissal of defender Kenny van der Weg. Quinn spent six months with Aberdeen before returning for a second spell at Victoria Park last January, and helping the Staggies win the League Cup final against Hibernian two months later.
Having replaced fellow defender Andrew Davies as captain in the summer, Quinn is keen to move a step closer to leading County to more silverware by defeating the Dons and said: “It’s a huge game, a home tie and that’s all we asked from the draw, but it’s against a very good side.
“We’ve shown we can handle the very best sides in the league and can compete, create chances and stay resolute.
“Getting a good performance is always pleasing, but the cup is one of the few occasions where my family won’t text me asking how I played because the performance almost becomes irrelevant if we win and go through to the next round.
“It’s not to say we won’t hope for a good performance, but it’s about making sure we are through.
“I’m sure if we go with the same approach shown in the last few games, tighten up on few things and take confidence from how we have played then there’s no reason why we can’t look for a good performance and a good victory.”
Quinn believes last weekend’s 1-1 Premiership draw against Rangers at Ibrox will hold the County players in good stead for the visit of the Dons, who are second in the Premiership ahead of Mark Warburton’s side on goal difference.
Quinn added: “It was a huge test and gave us confidence.”