Scottish Cup: Whitehill look to claim SFL scalp and clinch another crack at big time

The last time Whitehill Welfare hit the Scottish Cup jackpot their tie with Celtic helped fund new changing rooms and a better pitch - today they hope to earn another crack at the big time by beating Third Division Montrose.

The East of Scotland side have only once defeated an SFL side in 18 Scottish Cup campaigns, with their 2-1 victory over Albion Rovers in 1987 their solitary success against league opposition when joining the road to Hampden.

However, it is their meeting with Celtic 14 years ago that dominates the history of the club based in Rosewell, south of Edinburgh. A 3-0 defeat in front of over 13,000 fans at Easter Road, where they held the Old Firm giants for 39 minutes and came close to equalising, will be difficult to emulate, but manager Paul Cavanagh knows just what today's tie in Angus means to the club.

The one-time Dundee United, Stirling Albion and Berwick Rangers player, whose side saw off Wick Academy 4-3 in the last round, insists he is not reading much into Montrose's seventh-place spot in the Third Division but has promised to have a go at Links Park.

He said: "The committee are never slow of reminding me about that Celtic game. For clubs of our stature that's our dream. The money the club made from that game went a long way to getting the club to where it is just now. They were able to upgrade the pitch and build new changing facilities, but this is a new era and it would be fantastic if this team could get through to the next round and draw a big team.

"We know it's a big, big ask. Playing an SFL club away from home, on their plastic pitch, will be extremely tough and we know that they will be hoping for a big club in the next round as well."

There are 16 ties today, and Whitehill's East of Scotland sparring partners Spartans hope to break their Scottish Cup duck at Ainslie Park today, although they have selection problems. Dean Hoskins is suspended after his red card in the previous round at Keith, while Scott Livingstone, David Etale and Chris Smith are all struggling. Meanwhile, qualified doctor Jonathan Seeley, who re-signed for the club from Brechin, is recovering from a calf strain picked up running the Amsterdam marathon and is also ruled out.

Spartans lost at home to Forfar at this stage last season and have never won a Scottish Cup tie at Ainslie Park, following their heroics at former home City Park.

In other ties, Airdrie United host Beith and the junior side's manager John Millar said: "With the strikers we have you never know what will happen."

Ayr United also welcome junior opponents, and are down to only 13 members of their squad for the visit of Aberdeenshire outfit Sunnybank, with manager Brian Reid thinking of looking out boots for himself and his assistant Scott McKenzie.

The junior side with perhaps the best chance of making Monday's draw for the fourth round is Bo'ness United, who face Buckie Thistle at Newton Park. The Highland League champions will be no pushovers, however, and Bo'ness manager Willie Newbigging said: "This will be a really tough game but we have home advantage and that makes it more winnable for us."