Locos tie derailed again

Inverurie Locos’ Scottish Cup fourth round tie with Motherwell was postponed for a third time Monday.

Once again the Highland League club’s Harlow Park pitch fell victim to frost and another inspection will take place Tuesday with a view to getting the match played on Wednesday.

However the ongoing cold weather affecting parts of the north of Scotland means the tie may not be played until next week at the earliest.

Inverurie captain Tommy Wilson, who like most of his team-mates holds down a full-time job, said: It’s another sickener. I think everyone is fed-up now.

“The game has become a nuisance and we just want to get it played, we are desperate,” he added.

“I’m a sheet-metal worker and I took the day off work to prepare for the game and that has been a wasted day. I won’t get Wednesday off now so it’s very frustrating.

“The pitch looked okay on Sunday but it is solid again. I’ve never known anything like it. Every time the game is meant to be played, the frost comes.

“And when the games have been called off, we have been left struggling to find places to train because we have left it so late.”

However, Inverurie manager Dave Cormie insisted there was no question of Locos giving up ther home advantage.

“It’s a natural reaction to something that was exciting but which has now been postponed three times,” he said.

“But we won’t be asking to get the game switched. We have done everything that has been asked of us by the SFA (Scottish Football Association) so we are not putting that idea on the table.

“I am 52 and although I have seen plenty of the snow over the years up here, I have never seen frost like this. Even the all-weather pitches in the area are frozen off.”

Motherwell assistant manager Scott Leitch said: “”We are disappointed that the game has been called off for the third time and it has left us in limbo. There is no real problem but there is a sense of frustration.

“But we just have to focus on the game being played on Wednesday and if it’s not, then turn our attentions to the SPL game against Hibs on Saturday.”