Scorries daring to dream in cup tie

Gary Manson urged Wick Academy to grasp their chance to make Scottish Cup history. The Scorries welcome full-time League One outfit Falkirk to Harmsworth Park on Saturday looking to reach the fourth round of the national tournament for the first time.

Although the Bairns will start as favourites against the Breedon Highland League side, playermanager Manson reckons being at home can help Wick bridge the gap and cause a shock.

The Caithness side have reached round three of the Scottish Cup three times previously, losing out to Brechin City (2009-10), Linlithgow Rose (2015-16) and Stirling Albion (2016-17).

Manson is dreaming of a different outcome this time.

He said: “It’s a great opportunity for us. We hope the conditions and the pitch will be a bit of a leveller.

“If we were playing down at Falkirk on their Astroturf we’d be right up against it.

“We’re up against it anyway, but I’m hoping the conditions might play into our favour with the slope at Harmsworth Park and potentially the travel as well.

“Hopefully those things work in our favour and if our game plan comes off and everyone plays to their best we’ve got a chance, there’s no doubt about that.

“On our day we’re a good team and can match most teams in our league.

“I don’t think I’ll need to motivate the boys, it’s a chance to create history in front of a big home crowd against full-time opposition.

“I’ve said to the boys already, this is the sort of game you want to play in, this is why you train in all weathers through the winter.

“You do it for days like Saturday and hopefully the players can make the most of it.”

A crowd of more than 1,000 is expected at Harmsworth Park this weekend and Manson is determined to give the home fans something to shout about.

He added: “It’s the first time we’ve played full-time opposition in the Scottish Cup.

“They may be in League One, but they’re still a big name and it’s a big day for us.

“We’re expecting one of the biggest crowds at Harmsworth Park in a long time, we’ve heard Falkirk could take as many as 700 fans up.

“It should be an enjoyable atmosphere and hopefully we can give our fans something to cheer.

“We don’t want to get blown away, we want to make it competitive, stay in the game as long as we can and try to pinch something.

“We want to give our fans something to cheer about and ideally cause an upset.”

Wick haven’t played since November 5, but having the last two weekends free has aided Manson’s preparation for this clash.

He watched Falkirk’s 2-0 home win against FC Edinburgh 10 days ago and is looking forward to pitting his wits against John McGlynn’s charges.

He said: “I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I wasn’t as prepared as I could be.

“You could clearly see they’re a good team with loads of good, technical players who will hurt you if you give them space and time.

“But when I watched them it was a beautiful day and they play on a pristine Astroturf pitch.

“Whereas this game is totally different.

“I’m hoping it will be a windy day and the pitch will be quite soft with a bit of rain.”

OPPOSITION: Falkirk manager John McGlynn brings his charges to Wick on Saturday.