Elgin City won’t be facing up to typical university students in the Scottish Cup this weekend.

The Black and Whites take on Lowland League East side University of Stirling in a second round tie at Stirling Albion’s Forthbank Stadium on Saturday.

They’ll be favourites to progress against the team currently sitting bottom of Lowland League East, but manager Stefan Laird has issued a stern warning to his team.

He pointed to the uni team being a full-time outfit who have produced players like current Scotland under-21 international striker Barney Stewart in recent years.

“What a couple of people - concerningly - have said to me, is that's a game you should win,” he said. “I think that's maybe a little bit of ignorance towards who we've drawn.

“The University of Stirling are employed in a scholarship programme there, where they have players playing full-time, depending on what their cycle is, depends on how good their team is.

“Barney Stewart, for example, was playing for them two years ago. He's down in England now (with West Bromwich Albion) and playing for Scotland (under-21s).

“Two of Edinburgh City's players were playing for them last season, so this is a full-time team that we're playing.

“They're all there studying sport. They're not downing £1 Jägerbombs on a Wednesday, a Thursday and a Friday night.

“It's not a team of normal students that we're playing, so it's going to be an extremely difficult tie.

“A big pitch, they're going to be mobile, they're going to be fit, they're going to be young, they're going to be good on the ball and we're going to have to play really well to get the better of them.”

The teams last met in 2018 in the cup with Elgin winning 4-0 thanks to goals by Rabin Omar, Brian Cameron, Kerr Hay and current Lossiemouth striker Owen Loveland.

University of Stirling ousted City’s Highland League neighbours Forres Mechanics 1-0 at Mosset Park in the last round of this season’s competition, and also beat Nairn County 2-0 in a pre-season friendly.

They have won just once in Lowland League East and lost their other ten league outings.

However, results suggest that they have been competitive and they have been beaten by the odd goal in three against top three sides like Tranent and Hill of Beath Hawthorn.

Elgin have reached the fifth round of the Scottish Cup twice in the last four seasons, and once to the fourth round where they earned a home tie against eventual winners Aberdeen in 2025.

Last term, City saw off Deveronvale, Stirling Albion and Camelon Juniors before giving Championship team Partick Thistle a stern examination, losing 3-2 at Borough Briggs.

The Moray side also beat Camelon, Hill of Beath and Drumchapel United in 2022-23 and were moments away from reaching the quarter-finals when they led Ayr United in the 90th minute, eventually losing 4-1 after extra time.

“I absolutely love it,” was Laird’s assessment of Scottish Cup football, and he could have defender Lyall Booth fit to rejoin his squad after featuring just once in their last six games due to injury.