Brad McKay: Falkirk centre-half on 'mental' Wick journey, playing against his ex-teammates and 'limping' to second spot

The Bairns face McKay’s former club Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday in Glasgow’s southside as both side’s look to become unlikely finalists.

John McGlynn’s men made the 257 mile journey north to face Highland League outfit Wick Academy in the third round, before then facing Alloa Athletic and cup shock-troops Darvel away before having home comforts against Championship Ayr United in the quarter-finals.

“When you look back at where it started, it’s been a crazy journey,” defender McKay said. “We’ve been fortunate to avoid the bigger teams, but that’s the beauty of the Scottish Cup.

"It’s a massive achievement for us to get to the semi final. We’ve not had the toughest run you’ve ever seen but you’ve still got to beat what’s in front of you. We went up to Wick and we were driving over cliffs to get there.

“I thought we weren’t going to make it there or back at the time. That was a challenge in itself. And then there was a big slope on the pitch.

“Then Aberdeen slip up against Darvel and everyone was expecting us to slip up there even though Darvel were the underdogs. We took care of that then we took care of Ayr.

"You just have to take care of what is in front of you. If we go to the final people will say we have no chance. But if you are in any game, of course you do.

"It’s probably our best chance when you look at the draw and the Old Firm got each other.

“After the Ayr game here we had just finished the celebrations on the park and we got halfway down the tunnel when we found out we had drawn Inverness.

"I know for a fact Inverness will have been absolutely buzzing as well when they saw it was us because it gives both clubs a chance to get to the final.”

Going up against his old club, where he spent five years, McKay says sentiment won’t come into play he when he takes to the field on Saturday if he is selected.

He said: “I know a lot of the boys well, David Carson, Scott Allardice and Sean Welsh is from Edinburgh as well.

“I’ve not spoken to them much but I’ll see them on Saturday and wish them all the best before the game then hopefully go and turn them over.

"My mum was asking me the same about going up against them. She doesn’t know much about football and she was asking if it will be funny to play against my old pals.

"I said: ‘not really, it doesn’t change anything.’

“I know big Nikolay Todorov from Dunfermline but I wouldn’t shy away from putting one on him as well!

“It’s your job at the end of the day. There are no friends in football once you go over that line if someone is standing in the way of three points or a place in the cup final.”

The Bairns travel to Hampden having secured second place in League 1 last time out after a 4-1 win at Alloa Athletic.

McKay admits the team have slumped to ensuring they finished best of the rest after Dunfermline romped to the third tier trophy.

"It feels like we have limped to second place,” he admitted. “We should have had it wrapped up before it was. But we put on a brilliant performance on Saturday. Not many people go to Alloa and win by three goals.

"It’s a tough place to go, they are a tough side and Brian Rice has them well drilled. We will take confidence from that because I’ve bigger sides have been to Alloa and slipped up. We go there to Hampden high on confidence and belief.”