Paul Sheerin warns Kilmarnock of potential Cove Rangers Scottish Cup shock
Kilmarnock assistant manager Paul Sheerin was key to one of the biggest Scottish Gas Scottish Cup shocks of all time and it remains a lesson ahead of Cove Rangers’ visit to Rugby Park.
The 49-year-old scored a clinching third goal from the spot for Inverness when their 3-1 defeat of Celtic on February 8, 2000, sent shockwaves across the nation and beyond, the victory eliciting the famous newspaper headline “Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious.”
Derek McInnes’s side are in fine form, sitting in fourth place in the cinch Premiership but with first-hand knowledge of what can happen in cup football, Sheerin believes the Ayrshire outfit have to guard against becoming an unlikely victim when they take on Paul Hartley’s League One side on Saturday.
He said: “It is nice memories. It shows you what can happen and obviously upsets do happen.
“It was a momentous occasion for the club, they were relatively new to the league and that was part and parcel of the shock as well.
“There was belief because you always have to believe as players.
“I know Paul (Hartley) spoke about not feeling any real pressure which is understandable.
“At that time, Inverness had that mindset that there was no great pressure on us, no one expected us to do anything so that took the edge of it and we tried to enjoy it as much as we could, and obviously the way it worked out was something that nobody really expected.
“Cove will come here determined to be one of the clubs who cause an upset.
“We have done our work and hopefully that will stand us in good stead and not allow a shock tomorrow. Your attitude and application has to be spot on.
“We know what they will come with, we know shocks can happen but hopefully we will not allow that tomorrow.”
Corrie Ndaba returns after a two-game ban after being controversially sent off against Hibernian.
The defender initially saw yellow for a tackle on Jair Tavares before it was upgraded following a VAR check and it left McInnes fuming as the visitors came back to draw 2-2.
It was the 24-year-old’s first red card of his career, but he insists it will have no impact in the way he plays the game.
He said: “I was a bit surprised. I don’t think it was a red card, but the referee said from the follow-through, it was a red so there was not much I could do.
“It gets a bit technical these days. Obviously I got the ball first and the follow-through has gone into his ankle.
“I didn’t really have anywhere to put my leg, but the referee has decided to give me a red card so I have to take my medicine.
“I always tackle clean, that is the way I play so I am just going to play as normal.”
Centre-back Robbie Deas is recovering from a fractured cheekbone, while midfielders Brad Lyons and Kyle Magennis remain absent after respective cartilage and hamstring problems.