United must avoid cup blues

Fourth round action in the Scottish Cup this weekend for Dundee United when travelling to second division Stranraer.

The Tangerines will carry out late checks on defenders Sean Dillon (thigh) and Gavin Gunning (ankle), who both remain doubtful for the contest.

But midfielder Willo Flood was expected to recover from an ankle knock while winger Gary Mackay-Steven is definitely missing with a broken bone in his hand.

"We know we face a very difficult tie. The last thing we want is on the receiving end of some sort of shock which happens in the cup each season," United manager Peter Houston told BBC Scotland. "Stranraer have a good mixture of youth and experience and any reports we've had done on them say they are a capable side.

"This will be Stranraer's cup tie as far as they are concerned so we have to be wary of that from the very start," he continued. "But we have to start the game better than we have done in recent weeks. We've had this tendency to keep losing the first goal which gives you a mountain to climb for the rest of the game."

Stranraer are currently bottom of the second division and still missing Ryan Borris with a thigh injury. But their player-manager Stephen Aitken was hopeful his brother Chris would recover in time to appear after four weeks out of action.

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