Cup hungry Swifts must focus on Bo’ness first Manager tells team to keep minds on next game
Jeanfield Swifts manager Ross Gunnion admits it will be difficult not to think of the club’s upcoming date with destiny in the Scottish Cup.
But the Perth boss is backing his players to put their full focus into this weekend’s Premier Division encounter with Bo’ness United at the Riverside.
Swifts will take on Linlithgow Rose in the second preliminary round of the Scottish Cup a week on Saturday, a match which is sure to generate increased interest.
For now, however, the message is to make sure Bo’ness don’t leave the Fair City with a maximum haul of points.
“It’ll be difficult for some of the players not to have an eye on the Scottish Cup the week after,” Gunnion told the Perthshire Advertiser. “But this game is big in its own right.
“When Bo’ness visited last time it was one of our biggest crowds of the season. You’ll be talking well in excess of 200 people on Saturday.
“So the game has its own attraction and focus for us. We’ve said that to the players, to focus on the league and get as many points as they can.
“Bo’ness have started well, having a couple of draws against Broxburn and Dundonald where they were probably the better team.
“They have made some good signings and brought in a new manager in the summer who is familiar with this level. They’ll certainly fancy their chances.
“They are one of the four teams vying for the league’s favourites tag. They have a lot of experience at the back and three or four talented players in the forward area.”
Swifts sit 10th in the Premier Division having lost two of their opening three league matches. But that is no cause for concern to Gunnion and his management staff.
“We got hit with a spate of injuries, which you don’t like to use because we’ve got a good squad and should be capable,” he said.
“There were seven out, five of our starting forward line. That impacts on the amount of goals you score.
“But both games we got beat, the performance was good enough to go and win. It’s just that the league is so good and, on any given day, anybody can beat anybody.
“We really need to replicate Saturday’s performance against Bo’ness. If we do that, I genuinely think we’re good enough to go and beat them.
“There’s 27 league games still to play and we know it’s a marathon not a sprint. Everyone in the league has dropped points so it shows nobody is going to run away with it.
“If we can win the next couple of league games it will catapult us right into the top six, perhaps the top four.”
Providing a squad update ahead of this weekend’s match, Gunnion added: “We’ve got Chris McLeish still out but we’re hoping he will be starting training next week.
“Fraser Smith is out for potentially four to five weeks with an ankle injury.
“Aaron Whitehead is working his way back to fitness. We’re almost there but for Saturday I’d say we will be without the three. They are arguably the three most experienced players but the squad, hopefully, will be capable of handling those losses.”
Kick-off at the Riverside on Saturday is 2.30pm.
Swifts boss Ross Gunnion is all set for Bo’ness United Captain Aaron Whitehead is nearing a return