Ambitious Linlithgow target Queen's Park scalp - watch on BBC

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Scottish Cup: Linlithgow Rose v Queen's Park

Venue: Prestonfield, Linlithgow Date: Friday, 28 November Time: 19:45 GMT

Coverage: Watch on BBC Scotland, iPlayer, the BBC Sport website & app

"It's not one that I'm fearing."

The view of Linlithgow Rose manager Gordon Herd as his Lowland League high-flyers prepare to take on Championship side Queen's Park in front of the BBC Scotland cameras on Friday as the Scottish Cup third round gets under way.

Shocks still happen in the Scottish Cup, as Queen's Park themselves proved last season as they dumped Rangers out at Ibrox.

A point not lost on Herd.

"Why no us?" he says. "Up until six or seven seasons ago Queen's Park were languishing down in the lower leagues until they got that money pumped into them, obviously the money has been pulled away a wee bit now.

"It's a free hit. We know it is going to be a huge task. It is a home tie, Prestonfield is a tight park as well so we can hopefully make it an uncomfortable night for Queen's Park.

"We will treat Queen's Park with respect, but we're no going to sit in. That's not how we do it. This one I feel we have got a big chance."

It might just be a stop on a train for some of us, but what is the West Lothian town of Linlithgow up until this point famous for? The palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.

The town's patron saint is the Archangel Michael, essentially God's bruiser for those of a non-clerical disposition. The Linlithgow town motto is 'St Michael is kinde to straingers'.

You get a very real sense Herd and company won't be extending that 'kindeness' to Queen's Park's pilgrims.

"They are a young side," says Herd of their opponents.

"Obviously their massive favourites, probably first time this season they have been favourites."

"We are just hoping to make it a really uncomfortable night for them and see where it takes us."

"Put them under a wee bit of pressure and see what happens. I have been there myself with a young side, they can behave differently with an occasion like this."

Queen's Park manager Sean Crighton insists his players are going into this encounter in the right frame of mind.

"There's a reason it's on TV," says Crighton. "I've said that to the players, they [the TV top brass] think it's a potential banana skin.

"We need to make sure we approach it in the right way, which we have. We're looking forward to it. We know it will be a difficult game, but we should have enough quality to hopefully get a result."

Herd was a player when Linlithgow Rose won the Scottish Junior Cup in 2007. It gave them access to the Scottish Cup as junior sides were admitted for the first time.

They were thumped 4-0 at Palmerston by a Queen of the South side that would go all the way to the final.

Put that down to experience for a club on an otherwise upward curve.

The Rose currently sit fourth in the Lowland League. They dispatched Gala Fairydean and Bo'ness Athletic to reach this stage of the Scottish Cup.

Despite the blow of losing big players for this match - Dylan Paterson to injury and Oli Hamilton suspended - Herd believes he has enough talent at his disposal to get the job done, if the stars align.

You can almost hear him licking his lips at the battle ahead as he eyes up more successes on a broader horizon.

"I see us as a [SPFL] league club, the way the club is run, how professional it is. The park, the facilities, the way the players are looked after, the way other clubs are looked after", says Herd.

"We just need to get out of this Lowland League, which is a hard task, but I think if we can get into League Two with the funding that comes with it and how the club is run financially I think we can go League Two at least and then stay there, and maybe push to go League One given how big the club is."

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