Penicuik Athletic boss Steve McLeish explains what his team must do to improve

Penicuik Athletic boss Stevie McLeish has vowed his side won’t take East of Scotland Second Division side Peebles Rovers lightly when they meet in the second round of the South Challenge Cup.

Peebles, two leagues below Penicuik, are without a win so far this season, and while expecting his side to come through the Leadburn derby tie, McLeish has warned against complacency.

“We've had two potential banana skins this season already, against Bathgate and Lochgelly, in a similar situation with them both being a lower league side where you are expected to win and they have nothing to lose,” said McLeish.

“The boys are well aware of that. We played Peebles in a pre-season friendly, so we know what they are like and they know what we're like. I would expect a pretty tough afternoon, but with all due respect to Peebles, I would be disappointed if we don't come out as the victors.

Penicuik Athletic manager Stevie McLeish

“While we are expecting to win, we aren't going to be so arrogant to just go out and think it's going to happen, we are going to have to work really hard for it and the boys know it.

“We know what we are getting, we know we are going to get a competitive game. Every team we play at the moment – it's a cup final for them, but the boys are getting used to that.”

McLeish’s men suffered their first league defeat in a 2-1 loss away to Crossgates after 100-per-cent start from their opening five matches.

He admitted his players need to be more ruthless in front of goal as they bid to go one better than last season’s second place finish on goal difference to Premier Division champions Tranent.

McLeish added: “Last week we had 18 opportunities on goal in the first half alone, our performance levels were really high on Saturday, we just couldn't finish.

“In terms of how we played, we were magnificent and we've been playing like that all season. Our standards have been really, really high and in my view, we have been playing really good football.

“I wish we could add more goals because that was our Achilles heel last year and it's looking like it's going to be an issue that we must resolve very shortly to give ourselves a good chance of being successful this year.”