Scottish Cup: Auchinleck Talbot bid to make headlines against Raith Rovers

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Tommy Sloan remembers pulling on his boots against the Raith Rovers team that stunned Bayern Munich in the Olympic Stadium.Now he returns to Kirkcaldy today willing his Auchinleck cup fighters to make headlines of their own.Talbot boss Sloan was a prolific striker with Stranraer when Sanny McAnespie’s men headed to Fife in season 1995-96.Ahead of this afternoon's Scottish Cup meeting of the teams, Sloan recalls: “I played at Stark’s Park a few times but one that sticks out was going there the season Raith took on Bayern in the Europa Cup.“Raith actually led at half-time in the second leg in Munich before losing 2-1.

They had a great team in these days but over the years have always been hard to beat.”Ayr United, Hamilton, Cove Rangers (twice) and Kelty Hearts have all fallen to Auchinleck since Sloan stepped into the Beechwood dugout in 2003.But he reckons beating Raith on their own patch would be right up there with their greatest achievements.He revealed: “I went to watch Raith against Queen’s Park on Saturday and it was a strange one in that they dominated most of the game and yet lost 5-2.“I don’t think the Raith keeper had many saves to make but lost five goals.“We will have to play a level or two above what we have been playing to stay in the game.“It will be a big ask of our players but Queen’s showed Raith have frailties by scoring five against them.“This is what we are in the Scottish Cup for as we want to be tested.”Neil McPherson misses out through suspension, Kieran Healy is awaiting a knee operation while William Boyd remains sidelined.Meanwhile, goals from Keir Samson, Ross Taylor and Mark Shankland kept up Talbot’s defence of the South Challenge Cup with a 3-0 win over Neilston despite Lewis Crawford being