TWO past Scottish Junior Cup winners will go head-to-head this weekend as local rivals Bathgate Thistle and Linlithgow Rose battle it out for a place in the last four of this year's competition.
Bathgate booked their place in the quarter final with a memorable 3-2 victory over East Region Sup
er League leaders Bo'ness with a last-minute diving header from Graeme McLaren last month.
Linlithgow's path to the last eight saw them thump Whitletts Victoria 5-0 at Prestonfield in a replay last Saturday with goals from Mark Tyrell, Tommy Coyne, John Adam, Steve Manson and Roddy McLennan.
The match is the tie of the round and will attract a massive crowd at Thistle's Creamery Park as managers Graeme Love and David Baikie try to outfox each other on the touchline for the second time this season.
The previous match saw Bathgate edge Rose 2-1 at Prestonfield and another tight game is expected this time round.
Rose boss Baikie believes the experience of Bathgate's players will be their main asset against his young guns.
The former East Fife and Cowdenbeath boss said: "I'm not expecting anything other than a very difficult game on Saturday. It will be a very tough tie for us.
"They beat us 2-1 earlier in the season and they are a very experienced side who won the cup a couple of years ago and most of that squad is still there. They'll have home advantage so we'll be slight underdogs I think.
"It'll be the biggest game in the region and no doubt there will be a big crowd. It'll be quite a close game and we will have to play at the top of our game.
"We've changed things around a bit this season and have a very young squad. It will be the biggest game the young ones have played in so far."
Jags boss Graeme Love believes his side will be up for it and his team talk will be short on matchday as the occasion will inspire his men without added motivation.
"Big games like these can't come quick enough and it's these ones the players should want to be involved in," he said.
"I certainly shouldn't need to worry about motivation. We're playing our big local rivals to reach the semi-final of the Scottish Junior Cup so the game is as big as they come in junior football.
"Both sides are pretty equal and I don't think home advantage will play a massive part in the outcome because it's a one-off game and both sides have had good experience in the cup in the last five years. If you're going to win the cup you have to win away from home and Linlithgow know that better than anyone.
"But home advantage is a good thing and if someone asked me if I wanted it against Linlithgow before the draw I would have taken it.
"The other advantage for us in relation to teams outwith the region is that we know a lot about Linlithgow."
