Petrie targets cup shock at Ayr Gable Endies boss up for the challenge at Somerset Park

Having equalled their best ever start to a league season at the weekend, Montrose minds now turn to causing a big cup upset.

Stewart Petrie takes his second top of League Two side to Ayr United in the IrnBru Cup tonight.

Ian McCall’s men may have gone down to a shock defeat to Arbroath on Saturday but the full-time team are tipped for promotion to the Championship.

Petrie wants his players to maintain their focus on their own performance and build on their good work so far.

He said: “Ayr will be looking to hit back after their first defeat in the league.

“But we cannot get too deep into what they might do. First and foremost we have to play as well as we can. If we go out and do that then I will be delighted.”

He added: “I don’t get too caught up in facts and figures but there’s no doubt that 10 points out of 12 is a great start.

“We’ve still got four or five players to come back but they they’ll have competition for a start, which can only be a good thing.”

Petrie, who has extended the contract of experienced defender Iain Campbell until the end of the season, added: “We would have preferred to be at home as we were at Annan on Saturday and it is a fair amount of travelling for a part-time side.

“However it is all part of the challenge and we like a challenge.”

The Gable Endies will be without the injured Michael Bolochoweckyj, Martyn Fotheringham, Danny Cavanagh, Ryan Ferguson, Terry Masson and Gary Fraser.

The Honest Men are looking to get flying again after tasting defeat for the first time in the league this season, with McCall warning his players that they need to be at the top of their game.

He said: “Montrose have done really well under Stewart Petrie and I am sure that they will view coming here as a chance to create what would be a shock.

“If we play like we did on Saturday then it could happen so we have to up things.”

Montrose boss Stewart Petrie, left, hopes to transfer his side’s league form into the cup tonight when his side face Ayr, while experienced defender Iain Campbell has penned a deal to keep him at Links Park until next summer.