Gus MacPherson has warned his Queen’s Park players they need to take care of Ayr United in their Scottish Cup fourth round replay before they can let their thoughts wander to an extended cup run.

The goalless draw between the pair at Somerset Park on Saturday meant that both teams went into the hat, with Stirling Albion or Clyde awaiting the victors of tonight’s rematch at Hampden.

While MacPherson concedes that the prospect of taking on either side in the next round is a tantalising one, he knows that they have to earn the right to get there.

“It’s a good draw for Stirling and Clyde as well,” MacPherson said. “I think all four clubs will say that whatever the outcome, it would be a winnable game.

“Players will look at that, but you’ve got to take care of whoever you have first before that comes around.

“You just have to go out and play the game, pass the ball and compete, and we all know the reward that lies ahead if you do manage to win.”

With the Spiders in impressive form of late in League One and Ayr United struggling in the Championship, it may be thought that the psychological edge lies with MacPherson’s outfit ahead of tonight’s game.

But he said: “It doesn’t really matter what has happened before in terms of the league. They will be looking at it from the point of view that it is a cup competition and they will want to get through, and we’re no different.

“We’ve been on a good run and there is a belief within the group. They are all doing their jobs, they are competing well, they are working hard for each other, and that gives you a better opportunity to win any game if you have those values and principles.”

MacPherson is expecting another tight match after the weekend stalemate, but he says that as the home side, they will be looking to take the game to their opponents.

“We will go out and attack them and try to put them under pressure," he said. "That’s the way we try to play at home, it doesn’t matter who it is against.

“Against Morton in the Challenge Cup we did that, and all those attributes will need to be in place again to give us any chance of winning the game.”