Spartans opt out of Lowland League Cup defence to focus on play-offs

Spartans have exercised their right to withdraw from this season's Lowland League Cup in preparation for next weekend's Pyramid Play-off first-leg tie at Cove Rangers.

Spartans won the Lowland Leagie title to clinch their place in the Pyramid Play-off

The newly-crowned Lowland League champions, who won the cup competition last year with a 3-0 victory over BSC Glasgow in the final, were due to start their defence of the trophy away to Gretna 2008 tomorrow.

However, given the magnitude of their two-legged tie with the Highland League champions – the winner will go on to face Cowdenbeath over two legs to determine who plays League Two football next term – the Lowland League has accepted the Ainslie Park side’s request to forfeit the match.

Meanwhile, Whitehill Welfare will hope to edge closer to the silverware when they visit Selkirk in Lowland League Cup first-round action. The two sides met at Ferguson Park on league duty on Wednesday night with the Borders club emerging with a 2-1 victory.

In other ties, Edinburgh University host Edusport Academy at East Peffermill. The students racked up their biggest win of the season with a 5-1 rout of Gretna last weekend and will be confident of making it through to the last eight. And Civil Service Strollers travel to the Falkirk Stadium to play Stirling University.