Stirling Albion boss Darren Young wants team to go on winning run - starting at Annan

Stirling Albion boss Darren Young reckons his stars showed courage in a Scottish Cup adventure that took them into a fiery Ibrox cauldron.

Now the Binos gaffer hopes his players’ true-grit experience against the Premiership champions can help them put the frighteners on Annan tomorrow.

Young’s League Two side were not disgraced despite a 4-0 fourth-round defeat in front of 37,900 fans last weekend.

Now league rivals Annan will get their chance to host Rangers in the last 16 after a thrilling 4-3 extra-time win over Clydebank.

And Young has warned his players Peter Murphy’s men will be fired up after their cup exploits - with a 10-game unbeaten league run that’s propelled them into third place.

Athletic are 10 points clear of the next five teams – including Stirling – who are separated by just two points in what looks like a battle for the final play-off place.

Young said: “It was a great experience for the boys at Ibrox and they did really well.

“We had a couple of wee half chances at 0-0 and a couple of chances at the end.

“They never gave up and you can’t ask for any more than that.

“For me, it is a bit different trying to get your instructions across when there are 38,000 fans there so they probably didn’t hear me half the time!

“It will be a hard game on Saturday because Annan are one of the form teams in the league and had a great comeback in the cup. The league doesn’t lie – they are flying this season.”

Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.

He added: “It’s really tightened up between fourth and ninth so it’s important we try and go on a wee run.

“We might have someone in before Saturday because we have lost a few players this month and only brought in Mason Hancock and Akeel Francis so far.”