Pentland United and High Ormlie Hotspur prepare to do battle in the Highland Amateur Cup final at Wick’s Harmsworth Park on Saturday.
With a record eight wins in the competition, Pentland United will be odd-on favourites to add to their tally in what will be the fifth all-Caithness final since the competition began in 1978.
But co-manager Michael Gray is taking nothing for granted.
He said: “We have a massive respect for High Ormlie, they have a lot of good players.
“They are certainly not going to be a pushover. Nobody in the Pentland United camp will be writing them off. It will be a very keenly contested final.”
Here is the poster for the upcoming Highland Amateur Cup Final at Harmsworth Park in Wick #HAC pic.twitter.com/wuKW3wEzxm
— Highland Amateur Cup (@highlandamcup) August 14, 2022
However, Pentland will be without their captain Andrew MacKay for the big game – he is on holiday – while Cameron Montgomery (hamstring) and Shaun Forbes (thigh strain) also miss out.
Gray added: “We would much rather have everyone available, it’s unfortunate, but we still have great confidence in the group of players we have.”
High Ormlie co-manager Ewan McElroy accepts his team will start as massive underdogs in the final.
“That title will probably suit us,” he said.
“We’ve just been promoted and it is a huge achievement for everyone connected with the club to reach the final. It’s not just this season, but all the hard work everyone has put in over last number of years. They should all be proud of their efforts.”
High Ormlie are expected to be near full strength, although they will assess a couple of players who are returning from injury.
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