Bonnyrigg Rose ready to tap into never-say-die spirit against Montrose in Scottish Cup

Bonnyrigg Rose celebrated in style after they knocked out Buckie Thistle in the last round. Pic: TSPL

Goalkeeper Mark Weir reckons Bonnyrigg Rose’s never-say-die attitude can help cause an upset in Saturday's William Hill Scottish Cup third-round clash (kick-off 3pm) against Ladbrokes SPFL League One outfit Montrose.

The Lowland League high flyers welcome the much-fancied Gable Endies to a near sold-out New Dundas Park this weekend, aiming to recapture the spirit that saw them wipe the floor with Highland League leaders Buckie Thistle in the previous round.

And although 28-year-old Weir knows he and his team-mates are going to have to raise the bar again if they to give themselves any chance of progressing, he says last week’s 3-2 win at Spartans – Rose were 2-1 down with 88 minutes played – is proof they’ll keep fighting until the very last kick of the game.

“Last week’s comeback against Spartans really just underlined what this squad is all about,” Weir said. “We were losing with little more than five minutes to play but got the equaliser and then went on to score the winner. We never know when we are beat.

“And that will be the same tomorrow if we are losing with just a couple of minutes to go.

“Montrose are on a really good run so we’re expecting a tough one. But you never know what can happen. There’s the incentive of drawing one of the top teams in the next round so we’ll be up for it. The ticket sales have been phenomenal, particularly this week so the ground is going to be close to 2,000 which is brilliant. Hopefully, we can use that to our advantage.

“We’ll give them the respect they deserve but we won’t be scared. We’ve got certain individuals in the dressing room who will be able to show we’re good enough to go toe to toe with these clubs. A big result here could really drive us on in the league too. I’m expecting a busy afternoon with Montrose being two leagues above but hopefully we are working their keeper more.”

Weir was studying in America when Rose reached the fourth round three seasons ago and played then holders Hibs at Tynecastle. The side’s No.1, who had a previous spell with the club in 2012, admits he would love another crack at the whip. “You only have to look back three seasons ago when Bonnyrigg went through to Dumbarton, who were in the Championship at the time, and knocked them out so these results can happen,” Weir explained. “Everybody is wanting to get that big tie, like when they drew Hibs almost three years ago.

“I was in America, in Tennessee, at the time on a football scholarship. I remember speaking to the guys at the time about the match. You could just see how much excitement there was so I would have loved to have been a part of it. But there’s no reason to suggest we can’t experience a game of that magnitude again, but we have to get past Montrose first. If we can do that then we can look forward to the draw.”