It'll be dial m for murder if osbourne can't get a game

"I don't normally work on a Saturday, but I've got commitments for the next two Saturdays after this one, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it goes ahead," said the Edinburgh United manager.

As with all the other third-round ties, the Paties Road match was due to have been played on Saturday, November 27 but the snow and ice has left both teams waiting patiently for a first window of opportunity.

That will hopefully be tomorrow, though with a sharp frost forecast for tonight it is by no means certain that the Capital side will finally get their crack at the two-time former winners.

"It is looking good as the pitch is okay, but it will all depend on what happens with the weather on Friday night," added Osbourne, whose side earned this tie after pulling off a shock against Girvan in the last round. "We had a good training session earlier in the week and the buzz is back due to the fact there's a good chance the game is going to finally be played."

A bonus for United is that Andy Thomson is available again after he made a speedy recovery from the broken foot he sustained in a fall on the ice just after the cold snap first hit in November. "We thought he was going to be out for a wee while but his foot is fine, which means I've got a full squad to choose from," reported the manager.

Arthurlie, managed by Sandy McLean, who led Largs Thistle to the final of last season's competition, had been hoping to face Linlithgow in a friendly earlier in the week but that fell to the weather, to the delight of everyone in the Edinburgh United camp.

"It means the two teams are going to be in the same position going into the game," said Osbourne. "We are both going to be a bit rusty and it will come down to which team can handle that better."

Provided the predicted frost isn't too severe, Bonnyrigg are also hopeful their home clash with Pumpherston will go ahead.

"The pitch was playable earlier in the week and, the frost apart, the only issue is that is waterlogged or too soft by the time Saturday comes around," said Rose boss Alan Miller.

His side enjoyed a run-out in a friendly against a weakened Spartans Juniors between Christmas and New Year, winning that one 7-2. However, Miller will be hammering it home to his players that they can't afford to take anything for granted against Pumpherston, another South Division side.

"The Spartans game was a great exercise for us and, in fairness to the players, they looked relatively sharp," he added. "I have also been delighted with their application throughout the break, especially knowing they didn't have a game to look forward to on the Saturday.

"We had a look at Pumpherston before the break and, while it is a game we should be expecting to win, we will need to earn that right and that means showing them the respect they deserve."

Two of the top ties of the round - Linlithgow v Auchinleck and Newtongrange v Beith - appear to have little chance of going ahead tomorrow. While Linlithgow have been preparing as normal this week - Dave Baikie's side beat Armadale in a friendly on Monday and trained again on Wednesday night - the Prestonfield pitch was still partially covered by snow yesterday morning.

"It's a huge improvement from a week ago and I believe an effort is being made to clear the remaining snow, but I think the chances of the game being played on Saturday are slim," observed the Lithgae manager.

It's the same scenario at Newtongrange's New Victoria Park, where one side of the pitch was still covered by a blanket of snow yesterday morning.

Star boss Graeme Armstrong watched his side train on grass for the first time in six weeks on Tuesday and reckons it showed, something he's hoping will be rectified when the match against Beith finally comes around.

Noting their fighting performance in losing 4-3 to Airdrie in a Scottish Cup replay earlier in the week, Armstrong said: "They are a good side with good and hurtful players."

Bo'ness, who haven't played competitively since losing 2-0 at home to Buckie in the Scottish Cup, look set to be kicking their heels again with a trip to Yoker unlikely to go-ahead, while Premier Division leaders Broxburn will also probably have to wait another week before making their trip north to face Culter.

Dunbar are facing an even longer journey for their tie against Banff side Whitehills. The pitch there was playable on Thursday but the prospect of that match being played could well be decided by travelling conditions.