The two teams try again tomorrow and Lawson is hoping his players can rise to the occasion.

"Obviously, there was disappointment all round because the team and a lot of supporters were already at Galabank," said Lawson who had been returning from a holiday break. "Saturdays, in my book, are for playing football and that was the sixth occasion already this season that a game involving Spartans has been called off because of the weather.

"There has not been as much rain this week so hopefully the game will go ahead tomorrow."

Spartans have already beaten Glasgow's top Junior club, Pollok, 1-0 in their first-round replay and Lawson would like a repeat of that match-winning performance tomorrow.

"We will try to play a typical Scottish Cup tie," said Lawson. "Neither side has anything to prove to each other although there is obviously far more pressure on Annan because they are the SFL side and they are going along quite nicely in the Third Division.

"They have also signed four or five new players who have SFL experience so they are a better side than the one we drew 0-0 with at Annan last season. It is therefore a big ask for us although we are not going into a totally unknown situation.

Sometimes unknown territory can actually be a lift for Spartans players at a strange ground and with different surroundings. But we are going to a pitch where Spartans have had success in the past 20 years so I cannot use the 'unknown' as a motivational tool."

That does not mean that Lawson is in any way negative about the scenario and he has already undertaken comprehensive research on the current Annan team in terms of personnel and formations.

"Sam Lynch and myself, as well as the rest of the backroom staff, are always very thorough in our preparations and we are well versed on Annan. We have told our players all about these facts as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

"It will not be an easy game but if we play as we can then we have a chance of winning or bringing them back to City Park for a replay. We have shown already this season against Pollok that we can raise our game. The bottom line is that Spartans' players have to prove that they have bigger hearts than Annan and that, along with an even break, could be enough to see us through to the third round."

Spartans will be without Alex King, who is suspended and Scott Livingstone, who is nursing a knee injury while captain Stewart Fowlie is receiving treatment on a back injury.

On the positive side, striker Keith McLeod who has not played this season, has trained for the past two weeks and may be given a place on the substitutes' bench. His keen eye for goal will help bolster the side's attack where the likes of Nicky Walker have fared well this season. It was Walker's goal against Pollok which took Spartans to this stage.

"If Keith was to be involved tomorrow it would give everyone at Spartans a huge lift," added Lawson.

Meanwhile, Annan manager Harry Cairney is hoping that the extra week's rest may have given central defender Kevin Neilson a chance of playing after injury. Mike Jack leads their goalscoring chart with seven while former Hibs player, 35-year-old Derek Townsley, is the assistant manager as well as a player and he is likely to take his place at the centre of defence.

While Galabank's spruced-up ground, complete with new stand has already proved itself worthy of Third Division status, tomorrow's game is almost certain to see the floodlighting system called into action for the first time in competitive action.