Rovers prepare for Motherwell
IT’S their final cup competition of the season, and Rovers are hoping that they can go another step further to silverware as they travel to Scotland this weekend to take on Motherwell Colts in the last 16 of the Irn Bru Cup.
The game takes place at Fir Park on Saturday at 3pm, with a hundred or so Rovers fans expected to travel for the game.
It’s Rovers’ second year taking part in the cup, after last year losing out to Falkirk at the first hurdle.
But this year, they entered the cup by default after both Bray Wanderers and Limerick were removed from the competition as a punishment for their financial difficulties.
Having beaten Livingston Colts at home, Rovers got the away draw they wanted when they were drawn against Motherwell.
Manager Ger Lyttle said: “We want to win every game. We prepare for every game to win and it will be no different. It’s a cup game. It’d be nice to get a wee run in it and progress to the next level and we’ll prepare right for it.
“It will be a hard one, although it’s Motherwell Colts they are a good team. It’s an opportunity as well for the boys to go away and get a break from the league and prepare right for that.
“We’ll treat it with the utmost respect and hopefully we’ll come back with a win.”
A number of players have picked up niggles in recent weeks and they will all be assessed throughout the week as the came edges closer.
“It’s a week away and we’ll assess the boys. There were a few boys playing through the pain barrier, playing with niggles so we’ll see where we are and see what we have ready for that game.”
Lyttle insisted that they will be taking the game seriously.
“It’s a game we’re looking to win and we’re looking to do the right thing. We’ve developed our young players this year and I constantly talk about it, we’ll manage that and we’ll find a way to get those players in.”
Striker Mikey Drennan, who picked up the ‘Golden Balls’ award for player of the tournament in the last round, has been looking forward to this one for some time.
“We’re looking forward to Saturday and going across to Motherwell. Hopefully we can keep the winning streak going.
“If we win that then we’re staying on for an extra while (at the end of the season) and all I want to do is keep playing football which is the main thing.
“It’ll be good for the fans as well, I think there’s over 100 of them going over so it’ll be good to give them something to cheer about as well.”
Should Rovers progress, the quarter-finals take place in mid-November, while the semi-finals would take place in February.