WHEN Jamie MacDonald looks along the tunnel at Palmerston tonight, he may catch a glimpse of the past.
A Scottish Cup quarter-final at the Dumfries ground will form a vista which the goalkeeper has seen before, as part of the Queen of the South side which triumphed over a league rival to secure a trip to the national stadium seven years ago.
His prominent role among the visiting Falkirk team will give him a different point of view this evening, but one aspect of the scene in Dumfries will remain unchanged from that previous visit. Hampden will still be in the background.
Having progressed to the last eight of this season's competition, both Falkirk and Queens will be aware of how close they now are to the national stadium. It is a distance which was bridged seven years ago by a hoof from 84 yards, with MacDonald tracking Ryan McCann's spectacular effort from the fringe of his 18-yard box. "It might only take a half-yard goal this time, someone tapping in on the line . . . anything as long as it goes in," MacDonald told Herald Sport.
The Falkirk goalkeeper is inclined to consider a smaller margin of victory given how close the two clubs have become this season. They have been drawn together in the Scottish Cup and are tied in the race for a play-off spot this season, with Queens currently occupying fourth place in the SPFL Championship table on goal difference alone.
Meetings between the sides have been imbued with particular significance this season as a result. They have each played in matches against Hearts and Hibernian in the league during this campaign and Falkirk were able to savour a draw with Rangers only a week ago. Yet a journey to Dumfries is still the biggest fixture of them all.
"You have to look at that way," said MacDonald, whose side are without Mark Kerr and John Baird tonight. "We are neck and neck in the league and seem to be each other's closest rivals. A lot of times these games come down to who wants it more."
The prospect of a return to Hampden has offered MacDonald sufficient incentive but he is aware that at least one of his Falkirk team-mates will be driven by more than personal glory. Rory Loy has signed a pre-contract agreement with Dundee and might consider an appearance in the latter stages of the cup as a suitable parting gift to a club where he has rediscovered prominence, following a spell in England that was hampered latterly by injury.
"The deal he signed was probably too good for him to turn down," said MacDonald of a player who has scored 12 goals this season. "His finishing is excellent and he's got the movement to make it awkward for defenders."
The keeper has tried not to be put off by the run Queens have been on in the cup, with the Dumfries side putting out holders St Johnstone in the last round. They may also need to find a way around the loss of top scorers Derek Lyle and Gavin Reilly this evening - Lyle is suspended, while his strike partner has a hamstring problem - and manager James Fowler will likely have to rely on others to make the difference.
It is a demand which Lewis Kidd has accepted with some alacrity after signing permanently at Palmerston following his release by Celtic in the summer. "It hit me hard when I left Celtic. But I am in the limelight now," said the teenager.
That allowed him to illuminate his own cup experiences this week, an assortment of memories which comprise victory in two Youth Cup finals with Celtic. "Nothing as big as a Scottish Cup semi-final. We'll see, though," the wing-back added.
Kidd will begin tonight with a view along the tunnel at Palmerston. He will know that Hampden could be at the other end.
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