City fired up by Brora’s boasting

EDINBURGH City captain Dougie Gair has told Brora Rangers to write the Lowland League leaders off at their peril.

Brora chairman John Young has already dismissed City’s chances of progressing from today’s Scottish Cup third round tie, saying: “I cant see us winning the Scottish Cup, but I think we will get past Edinburgh City and get a good draw in the next round.”

Gair insists junior champions Auchlinleck Talbot got what they deserved for not taking the threat of Gary Jardine’s side seriously in the last round and the midfielder admits Young’s comments have helped fire up City.

He said: “We had a meeting on Tuesday night at training and Gary touched on their chairman’s comments.

“We’ll maybe use it but it’s the Scottish Cup at the end of the day, so you shouldn’t really need much more motivation for it.

“If you look at Auchinleck in the last round, they gave us that sort of motiva- tion as well and it didn’t work out too well for them.

“Brora are a decent side and we’ll have to be at our best. They have a lot of top-flight experience. Grant Munro has over 100 appearances in the Premier League.

“They’ve obviously got a bit of money behind them. They’re signing guys on three-year deals. In comparison to us, they should be miles ahead but I don’t think it will work out like that.”

The tie brings together the leaders of the Lowland and Highland Leagues in what could prove to be a dress rehearsal for the maiden end of season play-offs.

But Gair is refusing to get carried away, despite playing his part in the Meadowbank side creating an eightpoint lead at the summit following a run of eight victories on the spin.

The 29-year-old added: “It’s been said this is a dress rehearsal, but there is a long way to go. The start we’ve had is fantastic, but it will come to an end. It’s a case of the boys knuckling down and seeing it out.”