Weir so wary of another shocking result

Elgin City manager Jim Weir is determined to avoid the hurt of another cup upset in today’s Scottish Cup trip to Gala Fairydean Rovers.

Weir was in charge of the Arbroath side that was defeated 1-0 by Irvine Meadow in the same competition in 2009, with the then Division 2 club becoming the first senior outfit to be defeated by junior opposition.

Gala are 12th in the Lowland League and without a victory since their 2-1 home win against Fraserburgh in the previous round last month.

Haunted by painful memories of seven years ago, Weir has urged his players to show no complacency in their trip to Netherdale.

He said: “I’ve been there before with Arbroath. It was only my third game as manager there and it was not a pleasant experience. Gala have had someindifferent results, but anything can happen in the cup.

“If the players approach this game in the same manner as they have done for the away games they’ve played so far I would expect to progress, but we need to have the right attitude this weekend.”

City were pushed all the way in their last match against Lowland League opposition, with Archie Macphee’s 89th-minute winner required to defeat Spartans 1-0 in last season’s Scottish Cup second round tie at Borough Briggs.

Elgin have won five of their six away matches in League 2 this season and Weir is determined to keep the momentum going.

Elgin have a doubt about midfielder Thomas Reilly, who has an ankle injury, while fellow midfielder Scott Smith is a long-term absentee after an ankle operation and attacker Ben Cullen is unavailable.