ALBION: WE’RE UP FOR THE CUP
Clyde clash set to be a cracker
Stirling Albion face a huge game on Saturday when they take on League 2 rivals Clyde at Forthbank for a place in the last 16 of the William Hill Scottish Cup.
The Binos have knocked out Linlithgow Rose and Wick Academy to reach this stage, while the Bully Wee thrashed Arbroath 5-0 in round three, having beaten Brora Rangers before that.
Dave Mackay’s men defeated Barry Ferguson’s side 3-0 at Forthbank earlier this month and the teams go head to head again, with two former winners of the competition in each dugout.
Mackay famously skippered St Johnstone to glory against Dundee United in 2014, while Ferguson lifted the trophy five times during his days with Rangers.
The Scottish FA have designated this as their featured tie of the round and the iconic silverware will be at Forthbank for what is only the second Scottish Cup meeting between the teams – Clyde triumphed 2-1 in the only previous encounter in 1981/82.
Mackay, who could add to his squad before the weekend, was delighted with the display in the 1-1 draw with leaders Forfar at Station Park, but was frustrated not to get all three points.
Darren Smith opened the scoring and Angus Beith had a penalty saved by Grant Adam before David Cox earned the Loons a point with an equaliser towards half-time.
Mackay said: “I was happy with the performance but I’m disappointed we only got a point out of it. Overall, we had better chances than Forfar and that’s pleasing.
“We looked much more solid again but to go away from home to the league leaders and play so well and still only come away with one point is a little bit disappointing. That shows the progress we are making.”
One player who won’t be part of Albion’s future is French striker Dylan Bikey, who is set to play his final game for the Binos this weekend.
Mackay said: “It will be extremely hard to find someone with the type of talent he has and the pace he has got.
“He will definitely be here for the cup game but after that it looks like he will be away – whether someone comes up with the money (due in compensation to previous club Dieppe) or his agent sends him somewhere else as an amateur, that is also an option.
“We knew when we signed him that we wouldn’t have him for long but he has scored goals and we wish him well for the future.” Stirling were hugely impressive when they beat Clyde 3-0 on January 7, but Mackay isn’t reading too much into the recent encounter.
He added: “We might have a wee bit of confidence from turning them over but Clyde had a bit of a poor day and we seemed to click. It’s a totally different game – it’s a cup tie and we’re really looking forward to it.
“It’s all about who turns up on the day. I think all of our new signings should be available which is a benefit and we know the prize that is at stake – it could be worth a lot of money to the club.”
Meanwhile, Mackay has confirmed that several players will again miss out this weekend through injury and the majority won’t be back in the near future.
He said: “It’s a pretty extensive list at the moment. Jack McCue and Moses Olanrewaju are out long term and I don’t know when they will be back. There doesn’t seem to be much progress with
either. Ross Kavanagh will unfortunately be out for a while – five to six weeks is the estimate – and Callumn Morrison is also facing a spell out. As well as hurting his ankle, it turns out he damaged his knee in the tackle against Cowdenbeath and he is due to see a specialist this week.
“However, Chris Smith is not too far away after his knee surgery. He has been running and is progressing really well – we might have him back in training next week.”
Albion are aiming to reach the last 16 of the Scottish Cup for the first time since 2009/10 when they lost 9-0 to Ross County in Dingwall but recovered to pip Alloa to the Second Division title.
Their best run in the competition is the quarterfinals, a stage they last reached in 1989/90 when they lost 1-0 to Clydebank in a replay at Brockville after a 1-1 draw at Kilbowie Park.
Admission prices for Saturday’s game against Clyde are £13 for adults, £9 for seniors and students, £5 for U16s and free for U12s.
If the game ends in a draw, the replay will go ahead at Broadwood on Tuesday, January 31, kick-off 7.45pm.