The draw, while providing the reds with a potential banana skin, is something of a relief, given that City of the capital variety overcame Wick Academy in last week's replay up north, thus preventing City from having to make the 250-mile plus trip north.

The Edinburgh side have not lost a competitive game this season and, while their manager is philosophical about his side's chances, he feels he has more of a chance of getting a result at home against the Glebe Parkers.

"I know what a great footballer Michael O'Neill was. If his team plays in a similar manner to him, then we will be up against it.

"Realistically, we have to hope that Brechin come down here and underestimate us or they come down with five or six players missing, we play as well as we can and they have an off day.

"If we play well and they play well, Brechin should go through, simply because they have more quality and experience than we do.

"However, we have played ten games so far this season and we haven't lost a single one, so I don't think the Brechin fans should be coming to Meadowbank thinking their side is going to ease their way into the fourth round. We will certainly give them a game, make no mistake about that.

"I am not overly familiar with the Brechin side, although big Johnathon Seeley was with us before he went to Spartans and on to Brechin City and he knows all about a few of our boys.

"John is a big honest laddie, a good defender, who does his job well and who knows what his strengths are.

"We have a cup sem-final and a cup quarter-final in the next two weeks prior to playing Brechin, so we have the tough games that we are looking for to keep us competitive when we face them.

"We face Edinburgh University and either Stirling University or the newly formed Gretna in the other game."

The danger man for City to watch in this cup tie is undoubtedly Edinburgh's Robbie Ross, whose goals have played a big part in getting his club this far in the competition.

"I would have thought he is a player that a club like Brechin would take an interest in. He has the potential to go and play on a regular basis in the SFL and I think he will prove a handful for whoever marks him.

"Robbie has great ability and I think he could score goals at a higher level given that opportunity. The Brechin game is a big chance, not only for him, but for a number of our players to show what they can do against a side who have been at the top of the second division for most of the season.

"We are going into this in a confident frame of mind. Nobody expects us to win, but this is the Scottish Cup!

"I think the real motivating factor for both clubs in this game is getting through to meet one of the big guns in the next round.

"It cost us over £2,500 to go up for the replay at Wick and the only way we will get any money back from the competition is if we get past Brechin and gain a place in the fourth round.

"Brechin's treasurer will be thinking exactly the same as me, however, and I hope its a good cup-tie. We look forward to seeing a good turn out of Brechin City fans at Meadowbank."