Gunnion has faith in his players

Ross Gunnion is sure his Jeanfield Swifts players can rise to the Scottish Junior Cup challenge this weekend – if they show the right mentality.

The Riverside manager will urge his squad to be switched on from the first whistle against third round opponents Tranent of the East Premier league.

Experienced Gunnion has been through the highs and lows of Junior football’s grandest cup competition and would love an extended run this time round.

“We talked about going down to Whitletts in the last round two divisions below but that means nothing,” said Gunnion.

“The key to these games is approaching them with the mentality of not getting beat.

“Super League teams should have a consistency and a level which is hard to beat. That should be there no matter what.

“We shouldn’t be giving away cheap goals and teams have to come and work hard simply to get a goal.

“In the Super League you find that if both teams are on their game then you need to come up with a real bit of quality. If we can keep our discipline, work hard and maintain our shape, then I’d like to think we have more quality in our dressing room than they do.

“But I have been involved in games when we were the favourite to win in the Scottish Junior Cup playing against teams in divisions below then scraping through.

“It doesn’t matter how you win a cup tie as long as you win it, that’s the rule. It’s about making sure we we’e still in the cup on Saturday night.”

Tranent are a familiar proposition for Gunnion and he knows they have players capable of causing serious damage.

He said: “We played Tranent two years ago and it’s the same management team with a lot of the same players. They have been one of the better teams coming out of the South Division and were unlucky not to challenge in the East Premier last year.

“They have some really good players with guys who used to play for Edinburgh United and Haddington. I know a bit about them.

“There are five or six of their players who are definitely capable of playing in the Super League.

“They are maybe a striker and a centre-half short of being a Super League team. So I expect them to be very good, certainly at their home ground. Results at home have been good for them this season.”

Recent form has been promising for Swifts and Gunnion believes his squad is on the verge of knocking a few goals beyond opposition.

“We’re probably a fraction away from hitting teams with four or five goals the way we are playing in an attacking sense,” said Gunnion.

“Previously we were guilty of gifting goals but Saturday against Broxburn was a good example of the team working hard.

“We defended well and Mark Mitchell in goal made some good saves.

“If we put the same performance in I would like to think that we would be scoring a few goals this Saturday.”