And with over half the borderer’s team boasting men with SPL experience, in the eyes of many the new Second Division champions are favourites.

Alan, however, believes the outcome is too close to call, but is convinced his team are capable of going all the way to the final.

“If you look at the two teams, you see both are capable of winning on Saturday and, from our point of view, it is about which team turns up.

“I know the level my players are capable of reaching and if they can produce the kind of form they have in the Scottish Cup already, then I know they have a great chance of making it to the final.

“The replay against Airdrie was a very good performance and we could easily have won by more and, although the second game against Hamilton went to extra-time, I felt that for, all bar 10 minutes or so, we were in control and should have won more comfortably.

“If we produce that kind of form, then I know we are capable of winning, and just reaching the final would be a great achievement in itself.”

The waterlogged pitch at Ross County meant the Dark Blues are going into the game on the back of a free weekend. The manager does not accept that is a bad thing. “It would have been nice for the players to have had a run-out and Steven Robb could have done with some game time because he is lacking that, but it does mean there are no fresh injuries and everyone who was available for Saturday can be involved.

“If we do reach the final there will be a free weekend before that game as well and no-one will view that as a problem, so it shouldn’t be this time.”

Only Derek Soutar, cup-tied Colin Marshall and Lee Wilkie are out so Alan is looking for a good week in training with a big squad and, so far as is possible, he’ll keep things normal.

“We’ve watched Gretna five times now so we might be a bit more in-depth when it comes to the opposition. We’ll also take the boys to a hotel in Glasgow on Friday night, but apart from that I don’t want to change our preparation too much.”

Wilkie could find out before the day is out the extent of his latest knee injury. Results of the scan he had on Friday night have been sent to Italy where top American surgeon Richard Steadman, who operated on Wilkie last summer, is working this week. Dundee hope he will be able to examine them and give an opinion by this evening.

Meanwhile, by today tickets sale for Saturday had broken the 6000 mark and with sales still steady, it is possible another 1000 or so briefs could go before sales end on Friday evening.

And he feels that, rather than overall bad displays, has been what has cost his team too many goals since he arrived in January.

“When you look at the back four I think they were pretty solid and performed well. However, we went to sleep at a set-piece and that has cost us,” he said today. “It’s all about concentration and realising that if you have a lapse for just a second at this level you can lose a goal, because that’s what has happened.”

With refereeing decisions making the headlines, Craig also felt that led to the fact it was an entertaining 90 minutes was largely overlooked. He, for one, was pleased with the quality of the play. “A lot was said about the referee, but that’s not something I want to get into because I feel they have a very hard job,” said Craig.

“What I thought was that it was a good game, particularly in the second half. After the score went to 2-2, we could have won and they could have won, and there was good football from both teams.”

Lee Mair and Derek McInnes suffered minor knocks but should be OK for Sunday’s visit of Rangers. Added to the squad will be Mark Kerr, who has completed a one-game ban, though Grant Brebner has another game to serve. Tickets for Sunday are on sale from the club shop at Tannadice.