East Kilbride boss Chris Aitken has challenged his side to cause the shock of the Scottish Cup fourth round by knocking Peterhead out of the competition.
The Lowland League side head for the Balmoor Stadium absolutely flying and in fine form after beating East Stirlingshire 5-4 on Saturday, and Aitken says all of the pressure is on Jim McInally’s men.
Aitken has been in the game long enough to know that it won’t be easy to beat the League One favourites, but he also recognises that cup upsets do happen.
A win for EK would see them reach the last 16 for the second time in their history and Aitken said: “It will be a great occasion for us, it’s one we can go and enjoy, and there’s no pressure on us, that’s the beauty of this cup.
“When you’re at our level and you go up a couple of levels to go and play these teams, there’s no pressure on us, it’s all on Peterhead.
“We can prepare right for it, which we always do, and go and enjoy the occasion.
“We’re in the last 32 of the Scottish Cup and we want to get in the last 16, so we know what’s there.
“We know how big a task it’s going to be, but I’ll tell you one thing through all my experience and over the years – there will be one shock anyway in this round of the cup.
“We just hope that it might be us.
“We go there full of confidence – and I mean full of confidence – and I’ll be telling them to enjoy it.
“You just never know in the Scottish Cup.”
With one defeat in 16 games, Kilby are fifth in the Lowland League, three points off second place, and Aitken says that’s the result of a lot of hard graft.
He said: “We’re flying just now, and that’s credit to the boys who are working extremely hard on Tuesday and Thursday.
“As a group they’re excellent to work with, because they come in and go about their business, they work extremely hard, and they’re getting their rewards just now.
“When I speak to them about that I always speak honestly and openly about it – it’s not just about football, it’s about life in general.
“If you go and work extremely hard you’ll get out what you put into it.
“We’re doing that, and it’s starting to show. We’ll go there on Saturday, I have no doubt the guys will give it 110 per cent, and with the cup you just never know how it will turn out.”
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