Having seen his club knocked out of the national cup competitions this season by Motherwell and St Johnstone, Brechin City manager Jim Weir is well placed to pick a winner in Saturday’s Hampden Park semi-final.
The Steelmen defeated the Glebe Park men in the CIS Cup, and Saints needed a replay before emerging victorious in the Scottish Cup quarter-final last month.
It might be a case of heart over head, but Weir has backed the Perth men to reach next month’s final for the first time in the club’s history.
He said, “I think it will be a really close game.
“With my connections with Saints I hope they can make it through to the final. It’s something the Perth people have waited a long time for and they deserve it.
“Saints’ problems in scoring goals have been well documented, and that’s my only concern. Motherwell have been in good goal-scoring form of late as well.
“But when the game kicks off Motherwell will be as nervous as Saints and it will be about who handles the occasion best.”
He added, “Saints haven’t had a problem scoring in the cup, so that’s something Derek McInnes will be telling his players.
“If we got to a semi at my time at McDiarmid Park we drew the Old Firm and, psychologically, that’s a much tougher prospect.
“This is a great chance and I really hope they take it.”