Alan Pollock says winning the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup with Rothes didn’t feel real and now he’s determined to repeat the feat.
The Speysiders – who won the competition the last time it was played in October 2020 – take on Breedon Highland League leaders Fraserburgh in the quarter-final at Mackessack Park.
Although, there is set to be a pitch inspection at lunchtime because of the weather forecast.
But if the game is on midfielder Pollock is hoping they can move a step closer to retaining the cup.
The 31-year-old said: “It was best achievement of my Highland League career because it was the first cup I won.
“Then we managed to win the North of Scotland Cup this season.
“To win the League Cup after playing the last half an hour with 10 men was great, I think when Craig Cormack got sent off we all secretly thought ‘that’s it.’
“But what a feeling it was to get the 90th minute winner after what had happened, you can’t beat that.
“Once you’ve started winning you want to continue having success.
“After we won the Highland League Cup I didn’t really know what to do, it didn’t feel real.
“But once you get that taste for it it’s brilliant – you can’t beat it.
“So hopefully we will give ourselves a chance to have that again by getting into the next round, but it will be a tough game against Fraserburgh.”
Broch look to compete on two fronts
Meanwhile, Fraserburgh may be at the top of the Highland League, but Kieran Simpson says they are just as determined to have success in the League Cup.
The Broch are firmly in the hunt for the title, but the 21-year-old says they want to challenge on more than one front.
Mark Cowie’s charges failed to defend their Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup and Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield crowns this season.
Defender Simpson added: “It’s another important game in a cup competition that we want to win.
“There’s definitely not full focus on the league, we want to win the cup as well.
“And if we’re to do that we need to go to Rothes and get a result.
“In the two Aberdeenshire competitions we didn’t do as well as we wanted.
“It’s important that we keep competing in the league, but we want to try to win the cup as well.
“Rothes beat us in the league and we know what to expect from them, but if we turn up and play well we give ourselves a chance.”
Locos look for glory
Elsewhere, Inverurie Locos take on Buckie Thistle at Victoria Park, but again this is likely to be subject to a pitch inspection.
Railwaymen captain Neil McLean believes they need to be challenging for silverware having not won anything since the Aberdeenshire Shield in 2016.
The 40-year-old, who is back after a knee injury, said: “I think we’ve underachieved generally in the last few years.
“When you sign for Locos – which was a long time ago for me (2004) – you were wanting to push for honours every year.
“But it’s two trophies in the last seven or eight years and for a club like Locos that has to be improved.
“The infrastructure is there for us, the playing staff are there for us and we need to stand up and be counted.
“Personally I would love to win more silverware, but I’d also like to see a lot of the younger guys get a taste for it.
“When I joined I was lucky that it was the norm that we were in finals and winning trophies on a fairly regular basis.
“I think it would spur the guys on if they got a taste for it to try to win more.”
Crucial double header
Locos and Buckie also clash in the Highland League on Saturday and Jags boss Graeme Stewart is targeting two wins to sustain hopes of winning the cup and the league.
He added: “We need to win something – whether it’s the league or a cup.
“The league is your main target at the start of every season, but we need to win something.
“It’s important we do that in the next six months to a year.
“For that reason both games against Inverurie are massive.”
