Bonnyrigg Rose manager Robbie Horn on Dundee drama: this could have been one of biggest-ever cup shocks – but now it’s minds on Kelty Hearts on Tuesday night

Robbie Horn knows he was seconds away from going into the history books as the man who orchestrated one of the biggest-ever shocks in Scottish Cup history.

Bonnyrigg Rose manager Robbie Horn saw his side come close to pulling off a major shock against Dundee at Dens Park (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

But football served up another reminder that it can be a cruel game at Dens Park on Saturday night. Instead the Bonnyrigg Rose manager is now left with the responsibility of lifting his weary team for a crucial Lowland League clash against leaders Kelty Hearts on Tuesday.

“On another night we would have got over the line,” Horn said after his side came close to causing a major upset against Dundee, with goalkeeper Mark Weir so nearly the hero in a game shown live on BBC Scotland.

“I was talking to the coaching staff after the game, if we had actually managed to get the result it would have been one of the biggest-ever cup shocks. It is still great profile for the club. We did ourselves proud. I said to the players before the game you need to defend for your lives, and that includes your goalkeeper making saves. And getting a bit of luck. That’s what happened. It just wasn't to be.”

Bonnyrigg Rose held the lead from the 25th minute to the dying seconds of time added on after the first of a brace of penalties from Lee Currie.

Jonathan Afolabi’s late equaliser for Dundee came seconds before the end of five minutes’ injury time. Rosey Posey went ahead once more in extra-time, Currie converting from 12 yards again. However, goals from Lee Ashcroft and Osman Sow saw Dundee progress after a major scare.

Former Hearts player Horn said he was already over it. “The players might dwell on it a wee bit more,” he said. “For me, there was no expectation for us here tonight. We thought we could cause an upset but we needed everything to go our way, and it nearly did.

“Our bread and butter is the Lowland League. We have a massive game on Tuesday night against Kelty. We have to recover quickly after extra-time and get ready for that.”

He did express some frustration at the amount of injury time added on by referee Gavin Duncan. “I don’t know where the five minutes of injury time came from,” he said. “You don’t see that very often at that level.”

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