League Cup final countdown as history beckons for Buckie Ladies
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YOU must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.
That snippet of football philosophy from legendary Scottish manager Bill Shankly has never been more applicable to Buckie Ladies as they stand on the cusp of club history.
This Sunday will see the Merson Park outfit take to the field at Nairn's Station Park in the final of the Highlands and Islands League Cup, where they will face Sutherland.
In five short years since they were formed Buckie Ladies have gone from fighting their way through some difficult early years when heavy, double digit defeats were the norm to league contenders who are just 90 minutes away from their very first trophy.
Buckie began their assault on the cup with the long trip up north to face Orkney Women in April. The Islanders no doubt wish they had stayed at home as they were put to the sword 6-0 following a ruthless display of finishing by Catie Carter, who bagged four, and a brace from Caitlin Carnegie.
Old foes Clach awaited in the semis, with a score to settle after the Invernessians made Buckie's first appearance at that stage of the contest a painful experience, heading back to the Highland captial with an 11-0 win back in 2019. However, it was Buckie who were dealing out the blows this time around, Carter again inflicting four goal agony alongside a Lori Lappin strike to advance to the final 5-2.
Buckie had an unexpected but nevertheless welcome free matchday on Sunday, with Clach's visit to Merson Park postponed.
Buckie manager Mel Smith said: "On the one hand you could say it would've been good to get a run out, but on balance I think it's better that we got a rest and are fresh for the final.
"We've had a busy period of games recently and it means there's less risk of someone picking up an injury, plus it allows the players who do have niggles to hopefully get rid of them before the game.
"I'm hoping to pretty much have a full squad for Sunday.
"There's a huge buzz in the squad, we're all up for it, it's our first ever cup final. In training we've been working a bit more on individual players but basically it's been business as usual."
Buckie have beaten Sutherland in the league this season, coming out ahead from a seven-goal thriller at Merson Park in April 4-3, however Smith is not factoring that into her thinking ahead of the big game.
"You can't look at previous scores as a guide about what's going to happen in a cup final," she continued.
"We're unbeaten this season but that doesn't mean anything in Sunday's game.
"The league game against Sutherland did give us a few lessons, though. We were 4-0 up and cruising at half-time but we took our foot off the gas after the break and let Sutherland back into it. You can't do that against sides like that and not expect to get punished. They got three goals back and were gunning for the forth, although fortunately we managed to see the game out.
"Football can be a fickle game and we got overconfident and nearly paid the price. We can't afford to do that on Sunday.
"On the other hand, we can't allow the pressure to get to us, either. It's a big game and we're playing at a bigger ground than we're used to.
"We basically have to keep a lid on it and focus on our own game and how we want to play.
"It's a massive game for us, we really, really want to win.
"One thing's is for sure – we'll go out there and give it a bash."
Kick-off is due at 2pm. For updates and other club news, including details of the supporters' bus going to Nairn, visit Buckie Ladies Facebook page.
