Montrose may have to rely on the rub of the green or a single piece of brilliance if they are to overcome Kelty Hearts in the Scottish Cup, according to boss Stewart Petrie.
The two sides played out a 0-0 draw at Central Park last Saturday and will have to fight it out once more to progress into the fourth round of the cup.
Kelty are runaway leaders in League Two and are a side packed with experience and young talent and Petrie believes there is not much separating the two teams.
‘Difficult game’
“We’ve played Kelty twice now. In preseason they were better than us and we sneaked a 1-1 draw later in the match,” he said.
“On Saturday, there was very little between the teams so we know how good and dangerous they are and the quality they have in the squad.
“We know how difficult the game will be and if we’re not at it, we’ll lose. It’s as simple as that. Hopefully the breaks will go our way on Saturday and we’ll still be in the cup.
“It might just come down to a bit of brilliance, mistake or a set piece. The teams are fairly closely matched. We’ll just have to be at our best and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
St Johnstone await winners
Should they go through they will face Premiership opposition – and current cup holders – St Johnstone, which serves as an added incentive for Petrie’s side.
“Ultimately, it’s a cup tie. A home game awaits the winner against the current holders of the cup, so it’s a fabulous tie for whoever gets through and we’ll certainly be hoping it’s us.”
The Gable Endies go into the clash with a couple of injury concerns, with Graham Webster and Lewis Milne facing late fitness checks.
“There are a couple of injury worries, but like every team, we’ll pick up knocks and Covid will affect the squads but I’m not going to moan about it,” Petrie added.
“We’ll just have to knuckle down and get on with it. We’ll certainly have a competitive side out on Saturday, that’s for sure.”
Kelty Hearts 0-0 Montrose: A tale of two keepers as Scottish Cup showdown ends all square
