JIM Duffy has shot down pre-match predictions that today’s William Hill Scottish Cup fifth round clash at home to Dumbarton will be a cakewalk.

The Ton boss revealed how he’s ‘baffled’ by some pundits who’ve already tipped his team for a quarter-final berth.

And Duffy warned that, instead of being an easy afternoon, it’ll take everything his side has got to overcome the Sons.

Duffy said: “I don’t get this mindset of ‘you should beat Dumbarton’, I just don’t get it. It baffles me at times.

“We’re not Celtic or Rangers or Aberdeen. We’re in the same league as Dumbarton and they compete in every single game. So it’s something the players have been made fully aware of.

“We need to be at our best. I know we’ll be up for the challenge and we’ll give it everything on the day and if that’s good enough to get us into the quarter finals, then fantastic.

“If it’s not, then it won’t be for a lack of commitment, or desire. You might not play well on the day, that can happen, but it certainly won’t be for any other reason.

“But in terms of determination from the players, I’m sure that will be there in abundance.”

Recent matches with Stevie Aitken’s side have been evenly matched affairs and Duffy reckons today’s visitors to Cappielow deserve all the respect that they’re due.

He said: “There’s been full time clubs that have been relegated from the division and Dumbarton have stayed in a division which is notoriously tough.

“You have teams like St Mirren, Dunfermline, Falkirk and Dundee United - and last year Hibs - so it’s staggering they have stayed in the league.”

Duffy has also tipped his Dumbarton counterpart Aitken to take the leap into full-time football, such is his growing reputation.

Duffy said: “It’s only a matter of time before he takes another step forward and goes into full-time football and he’ll thoroughly deserve that opportunity.

“But, in the meantime, his team will come today and they’ll give everything for their gaffer and that will make it tough, but we’re playing well, we’re playing with confidence.”