Dance around Maybole? No chance

Max Christie’s team looked to have been handed a favourable draw with a home tie against a team from the Ayrshire District League, which is two levels below the Super League.

But the Bonnyrigg boss is urging his players to show Maybole the same respect as Clydebank got when they visited New Dundas Park in the last round.

“My assistant, Steve Ellison, went through to watch them last Saturday (when they won 4-2 at Darvel),” said Christie.

“They are a team that is used to winning, that’s for sure, and they are sitting at the top of their league as a result of that.”

Maybole have already accounted for two East Region teams in this season’s competition – Falkirk Juniors and Fauldhouse United.

“It’s all very well us being two leagues above them but we have to show them respect and be at our best to get into the last 16,” added Christie.

Following a home victory against Kelty the previous weekend, Rose were disappointed to see last Saturday’s league match at St Andrews fall to the weather.

“We don’t want to get ourselves in the position Bonnyrigg were in last season when they had to play four games in eight days to a fixture backlog,” observed the manager.

In a bid to bolster their title challenge, Christie is looking to strengthen his squad but won’t be adding numbers just for the sake of it.

“I’m looking for players who are better than we’ve got and it’s difficult to get someone who could go straight into the team as we have been doing well for a long period of time,” he said.

“Mark Hendrie, for example, is someone on the fringes at the moment and is probably due a chance in the team. But he just has to be patient.”