JIM Duffy says Morton will be up for the cup when they set off on the road to Hampden tomorrow afternoon.

The Greenock men kick-off their Scottish Cup campaign with a third round clash against Gary Bollan’s Airdrie at Cappielow.

For Ton boss Duffy, who led Dundee on a memorable journey to the 2003 final before losing narrowly to Rangers, it is a competition that holds special significance in the football calendar.

And despite hosting familiar foes in fellow League One outfit Airdrie for the second time in the space of seven weeks, Duffy reckons the magic of the cup gives every tie added appeal.

He told the Tele: “When I was a player many years ago, the Scottish Cup was a real chance for your club to boost its profile and win some silverware.

“Every team starts off with the dream of going far, getting to Hampden, and I think there’s still something a wee bit special about the cup.

“There’s never anything guaranteed.

“You see it year in, year out in every cup competition all over the world.

“There are a lot of surprises and the favourites don’t win it as often as you’d expect. It can provide some of the highlights of your career, as a player and a manager.

“Probably one of my best days in football was leading Dundee out in the Scottish Cup final in 2003. It was a good year.

“We had some terrific players and went on a really good cup run and a really good league run. “A lot of things came together at once, and sometimes that happens in football.

“In the final itself, we played very well but [Lorenzo] Amoruso scored and Rangers won 1-0. They actually won the treble that year under Alex McLeish.

“I remember us hitting the inside of the post and having a couple of good chances. To his credit, big Alex said that if we had scored an equaliser he would have fancied us to go on and win.

“As a manager, it was ultimately bitterly disappointing we didn’t win. I didn’t even go up for my medal, not because I was being rude but because I was so disappointed I just wasn’t thinking.

“But it was still a fantastic occasion with the build-up to the game, the media coverage, staying in the hotel the night before the game, travelling to Hampden, and the huge support backing you. And it’s an adventure. Each round you go through, the draw becomes a little bit more exciting each time. The numbers are getting less, the chances of getting to Hampden increase.

“Each campaign starts with that same optimism, that same belief, that this could be your year. And you start that by taking it round by round and making sure you’re in the next draw.

“This is the first round for us and we have to just try and make sure we do our best to win tomorrow and get into that next draw.” Ton make their bow in this year’s competition at the third round stage, and Duffy believes they can build some momentum after last week’s massive league win over Dunfermline.

He added: “Talking about cup competitions, Airdrie have a terrific cup history, particularly under Alex MacDonald. There was a spell when they got to semi-finals and finals on a regular basis.

“And they’ll be every bit as determined as we are to have a go and try and be in the hat for the next round.

“In a league game, they might have thought they could sit, keep it tight, get a draw and it’s not a bad point at Cappielow. But in a cup competition, they’re maybe more likely to come and have a go.

“Okay, you can get a replay, but it’s still a chance to be a bit more relaxed and free knowing there are no points at stake. So I think it will be a bit more of an open game than it perhaps was the last time.

“We got a great result in the league last week after a real committed performance. And we want to try and get a similar result and performance this week.

“We’ve had this situation two or three times already this season where we’ve had the opportunity to go and follow up a really good result with another one.

“Once or twice we’ve done it, one or twice we haven’t, and that’s the test for any team. Can you go and find a level of consistency?

“Another win can maintain that positive atmosphere and keep the optimism and belief there. And that’s what we’re looking to achieve.”