Blackburn United boss Jamie McCormick admits he didn’t want to face Broxburn Athletic in the Scottish Cup.
Not because he fears the challenge but simply because he wants both teams to progress. That won’t stop him from plotting the Brox’s downfall, though, when the two sides meet at Albyn Park on Saturday.
McCormick, set to make his managerial debut in the competition having previously been the club’s assistant, admits there’s a strong bond between local clubs.
He said: “If you’re getting an away game, you really are wanting one as close to home as possible and we definitely got that. It’s certainly handy for everyone and it’s a big game for West Lothian.
“It’s a shame in some ways because you’d like to see both teams progress. There’s a good relationship between the teams in the area and I think we all want to see each other do well.
“So in that regard, it’s maybe not a draw we would have chosen but we don’t have any fears or concerns about taking them on or with how the game will go.
“We played them two weeks ago in the league and a draw was a fair result but I think probably most people’s expectations would be that Broxburn are the favourites.
“It gave us an idea of how they play and what they’re about because they had made a few signings in the summer so it’s not a bad thing that we played them so recently.”
He added: “We held our own and know that we can go there and win the game, there’s absolutely no doubt about that. We go there confident.
“We’ve got a very good team and an honest, hard-working set of lads. If we apply ourselves in the same manner as that game, then we’ll give ourselves every chance of progressing.”
The gaffer admits he’s expecting to see a bumper crowd at Albyn Park and is full of belief his players can put on a positive performance to match the occasion.
He commented: “You’ve got to think it’s generated a bit of interest within the county. If I was a neutral, it’s the sort of game I’d be desperate to get to.”
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