Manager looks forward to Thistle test

29/11/22: JM - “When it is time for that cup tie we will certainly go to Firhill and have a right good go at them.

James McPake will look forward to testing his team against Championship opponents in the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup. Monday evening’s draw teed up a repeat of last season’s Third Round meeting away to Partick Thistle. The manager acknowledged that Firhill is always a very tough place to go and although a much used cliche this one is high up that scale. He gave his reaction to the website:-

“The first thing that you look for in a cup draw is that you want to be at home but we were happy to be in the draw and it doesn’t matter who you draw, when you are sitting watching it you are just relieved as staff and as a group of players that you are in the hat.

“The players won the cup tie last Saturday playing some really good football with a really professional performance. I didn’t need to do a team talk because Dave Mackay has won the Scottish Cup, all the players knew that because he never shut up about winning it all week!

“It’s a Championship club and we want to test ourselves to see where we are. That is not getting above our station because we are top of League One but by the time the cup comes around we don’t know what will be happening in our league. We want to be consistent and performing. When it is time for that cup tie we will certainly go to Firhill and have a right good go at them.

“We will look forward to going to Partick but we have a lot of big games before that so that will be put to the side just now. We will focus on Queen of the South this weekend.”

Partick Thistle have drawn Dunfermline ten times in the Scottish Cup and the Fifers have progressed on eight of those occasions.  Despite Thistle being founded in 1876 and Dunfermline nine years later in 1885 it wasn`t until 1955 that the two clubs were paired in the Scottish Cup.

The most recent Scottish Cup tie was only last season when Partick won through with a 1-0 home win in which Ross Docherty scored the knock out goal just eight minutes from full time.

Thistle v Pars: The Scottish Cup Record

East End Park | P5 | W5 | D0 | L0 | GF15 | GA4
Firhill | P6 | W3 | D1 | L2 | GF8| GA5
TOTAL | P11 | W8 | D1 | L2 | GF23 | GA9

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