Irvine Meadow boss targets Scottish Cup 'dream' as they eye up Stenhousemuir shock

Irvine Meadow boss Ben Carson insists the club have earned the right to dream of a Scottish Cup payday as they eye up a shock against Stenhousemuir.

The Medda host the SPFL League One title challengers in Saturday’s third round clash at Meadow Park (3pm kick-off) with victory in that tie setting up a potential money spinner in the next round as Premiership teams enter the competition.

That’s not to say that Carson, or anyone else at the club, are taking Stenny lightly but he admits dreaming of leading his side out at Ibrox or Parkhead is what the nation’s top cup competition is all about.

And he’s confident the Medda can prove to be a banana skin for their third tier visitors.

Speaking to the Herald, he said: “This is a game we’ve all been looking forward to since the draw was made.

“You never know and that’s part of the beauty of cup football. There’s no pressure on us at all because Stenhousemuir will be favourites but having that tag can make it hard for teams sometimes.

“We need to make sure that we’re at it and give the best account of ourselves that we can and honestly if we can do that I’m confident that we can cause a shock.”

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He added: “We’re one win away from potentially getting a huge game in the next round that could set the club up for a few years.

“Dreaming of those sort of games is what football at this level is all about. Our physio Mark (Bellew) has joked about how many games until we get into Europe.

“It’s testament to the players that we’re in this position and they deserve huge credit.”

Carson was in the stands 15 years ago when the Medda got the better of third tier Arbroath at the same stage so he knows it can be done as he looks for history to repeat itself.

He said: “I was at Meadow Park watching as a fan a few years ago when they beat Arbroath and that was a brilliant day for the club.

“Hopefully we can produce something similar this weekend and we can get a good week of training. The last couple of games being off has meant we’ve been able to bring a couple of boys back from injury and obviously nobody else has been put at risk.

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“We’re in good form just now and we’re confident. It’s a case of putting everything together and giving it our best shot on Saturday.”

The gaffer also called on the town and the club’s supporters to play their part adding: “The fans can really make a difference. They can make it an intimidating atmosphere and make it uncomfortable for Stenhousemuir.

“There’s a real buzz about the town and everyone’s looking forward to it. The game’s a real occasion not just for the club, but for the town.”