East Kilbride boss Kevin Rutkiewicz insist his side need to bring their A-game tonight if they are to take anything off of Lowland League leaders Rangers B.
The young Gers side welcome Kilby to Dumbarton Stadium sitting six points clear of the third-place Kilby with a game in hand.
Victory for EK would claw that gap back to three point and could potentially take them ahead of Celtic B, depending on their result with Berwick Rangers.
So Rutkiewicz knows it is a big game in their season but he hopes his side give a better account of themselves than they did in the July meeting at K-Park, when the Gers ran out 4-3 winners.
He said: "It would be massive for us to get a result there but we are well aware how difficult that is going to be.
"Rangers have invested heavily - not just financially but in terms of time. Rangers and Celtic have put a lot of work into the B teams so we are well aware of the challenge.
"We were probably fortunate to go only 3-0 down against them at half-time in the first game at the start of the season.
"We made somewhat of a game of it to come back to 4-3 and that probably flattered us, so we know we need to be much better this time around.
"Like any time you play a good team, you need a lot of things to go your way.
"You need a bit of luck, a couple of decisions that go your way and give us the momentum instead of Rangers, and we need our players to bring their A-game.
"They can't be at 70-80 per cent. They've got to be on it and if we play at the best we can, I back us to get something.
"But that is what it will take for us to get a result."
Meanwhile, Rutkiewicz has warned his side they can’t afford to throw in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ performances in their pursuit of the title after a dramatic 5-4 win over Gala Fairydean Rovers on Saturday.
EK came from 3-1 down at Netherdale to claim a vital three points that took them up to third spot in the table and within six points of leaders Rangers B.
A brace from Neil McLaughlin, plus strikes from Ronan Hughes, Cami Elliott and Docherty saw Kilby turn in a superb second half show when all looked lost.
Rutkiewicz was relieved to come out on the right end of a nine-goal thriller and was full of praise for his players’ fighting spirit, but he said: “We can’t be that Jekyll and Hyde in games.
“We were poor in the first half and we could have been dead and buried had it not been for that goal we got back at the end of the first half.
“Getting the goal just before half-time was massive. And after the first five minutes after the break, the second half was excellent. At the end of the day it’s a victory and we’d have taken a 5-4 or a 1-0. As long as we can be on the right end of these mad results I can’t be too critical because the boys have found a way to come back.
“Gala were 2-1 and 3-1 up in the game so we’ve fought back from them being in a winning position. I’m delighted by that side of it.
“We had the rub of the green a wee bit at times but we did earn it as well, so I will doff my cap to the players for that.”
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