Melvich players ‘excited’ ahead of Mackay Cup summer season finale
Attentions across the north football landscape may have turned to the winter game by this time of the year, but one more date on the summer amateur calendar remains to be decided.
In what will be a first-time meeting, Saturday will see north-west Sutherland league contenders Melvich lock horns with guest club Mallard FC of Dingwall in the final of the Mackay Cup.
Owing to the Mackay Cup's end of season positioning, many of the association's top half clubs opted out of playing for the trophy, leaving just four clubs - Melvich, Embo, Lochinver and the Mallard - to vie for the honour.
Melvich manager Alan Murray, who watched his side book their place in the final with an emphatic 4-1 win over Embo back in August, says his side are "excited" about the opportunity to play in a final.
"Our team is looking okay for the game," Murray said. "The young lads are pretty excited to be playing in a final so they are all up for it and should be a good game.
"We hope to have a few fans coming down the strath to support us with a game getting played earlier in the day there should be a good crowd at the game."
Starved of a lot of action this season due to having no league to play in, Mallard FC boss Liam Watson sees the opportunity to win silverware as an ideal reward for the patience shown by his young squad.
Aside from a small amount of ties in the Stafford Cup and Highland Amateur Cup, the Dingwall outfit have had to be content with friendly matches against other amateur hopefuls this summer.
Watson said: "We will be going into this game with confidence after our fantastic win up in Lochinver last week, coming from two goals down at half time to beat them 3-2.
"Our feet will be firmly on the ground and we will treat Melvich like any other opponent we have faced this summer - with respect - and we hope to take the cup back to Dingwall.
"Our up and coming young lads have been itching to get going and to give them a cup final is massive and hope next year is good to us."
The Mackay Cup final is scheduled to kick off after 4.30pm on Saturday, September 14, at Helmsdale's Couper Park, following the conclusion of Bunillidh Thistle’s North Caledonian League match versus Fort William.
Ahead of the final, league secretary Hugh Morrison expressed his thanks to this season's participants and match officials.
Mr Morrison said: "With our final game on Saturday, it brings a close to the North-West Sutherland summer season, which started in the first week of April.
"It’s been a good season with 11 clubs competing and a half decent standard of football.
"Congratulations go to Tain who won the league, and to Helmsdale who won the post split league 2 trophy. Congratulations also go to Golspie, who won the Stafford Cup.
"Saturday sees the Mackay Cup Final between Melvich and the Mallard being the last game.
"Thanks go to the teams, managers and to the match officials as without them we wouldn’t have football."
