Ayr United manager David Hopkin says the Honest Men want a meaningful Scottish Cup campaign ahead of their second-round fixture against Elgin City.

It has been a positive start for the new Ayr manager since taking over the reins almost a fortnight ago from Mark Kerr.

His debut game in charge was a 2-0 away loss to Scottish Championship leaders Hearts however that result was soon remedied with a 3-1 away win over Dundee.

A 1-1 draw with Raith Rovers at the weekend leaves the Honest Men 7th in the Championship table and three points clear of the relegation play-off place. Ayr get a break from Championship duty on Tuesday night as they start their Scottish Cup campaign away to Elgin, who currently sit third in the League Two table.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Hopkin said: “I watched Elgin at the weekend, and they are a very good team, with a lot of players that have played higher level football at Ross County, Aberdeen and all around.

“We know it is going to be tough to go up there and we are going to have to be focused and give them the respect that they are due.

“Hopefully, we can go through and get a tie at home because I think cup runs are important to the fans and financially for the club too.”

After that fixture, Ayr face another tough Championship game on Saturday away to Alloa Athletic, who currently sit bottom of the Championship table.

The Honest men will be confident going into the match at Recreation Park having already beaten the hosts 2-0 at the ground this season as well as beating the Wasps 4-1 at Somerset Park.

Despite that, Hopkin says he expects a tricky game against Alloa, however he hopes the Honest Men’s good performances so far can help them secure a vital win.

“Everybody knows what Alloa are all about, how they play and their style because they have been doing it for years. They have had the same core group of players for the past few years and we know it is going to be tough, but we have to go and play with the same tempo and energy we have been playing with.”