Bairns aim to avoid banana skin in Scottish Cup

Falkirk skipper Aaron Muirhead has warned his team-mates to avoid a slip up in their William Hill Scottish Cup trip to Inverurie, playing Cove Rangers in the fifth round.
Bairns captain Aaron Muirhead has been defeated by Cove in the past, and doesn't want another experience. Picture Michael Gillen.Bairns captain Aaron Muirhead has been defeated by Cove in the past, and doesn't want another experience. Picture Michael Gillen.
Bairns captain Aaron Muirhead has been defeated by Cove in the past, and doesn't want another experience. Picture Michael Gillen.

The Bairns are just 180 minutes from a trip to Hampden which would cast a slightly more favourable light on a so-far struggle of a season, but they must see off the unbeaten Highland League outfit in Aberdeenshire.

Muirhead, who has assumed the captain’s armband for the remainder of the season says while on paper it might look a favourable draw for the Bairns, it will be tough. The defender has tasted defeat to Cove in the competition too – losing as a youngster in the 2009/10 competition.

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He told The Falkirk Herald: “It’s so important to have the heads right. They’ve not lost in over a year or so. It’ll be tough going and they have players at the club who have experience throughout the leagues. It’s something we need to prepare right for and have the right attitude and mentality.

“You can look at games and think that’s an easy win, but it’s only easy if you do your business in the right way. I’m sure the boys will do that.

“We are heading up north on Friday, we’ll get a bit of dinner and then spend the night then pre-match preparation before the game. We will prepare right and the manager will pick a team to get us into the quarter finals.

“I played up there for Annan when I first started out and they actually beat us, so I know what to expect from a Highland League side.

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“The conditions are usually quite dodgy and it’ll be a tight pitch so hopefully we can go up, get a result and put a show on for whatever fans make the journey up and get us through to the next round.

“A cup run would be a big boost. It’s been a bit of a bad season for us and we’re down at the wrong end of the table when we’re used to being a lot further up.

“It could give the fans something to cheer about and then we can focus on improving in the league again.”

Supporters bus notes P87