Success breeds success, as the old saying goes.
For Fraserburgh striker Paul Campbell, the hope is this season at Bellslea sees that mantra ring true.
The Aberdeenshire Cup has already wung its way back to the north coast this season. A 2-1 win over Formartine United in the autumn was their first triumph in the competition since 2015, with form gathered along the way propelling them into the Highland League title picture and to another final.
The silverware up for grabs this time is the Aberdeenshire Shield, at Cove Rangers’ Balmoral Stadium tonight, as this memorable campaign – so far – adds another landmark date.
“It would be a great achievement for us to win both Aberdeenshire cups this early in the season,” said Campbell. “It would be a great way to kick-start our season and hopefully be a sign of things to come.
“We just take each game as it comes but I love cup games, particularly in the Aberdeenshire ones as you don’t need to play too many games to get to the final. Luckily we’ve been able to do that in two competitions.
“It’s still early doors – we’re just half-way through the season and there’s a lot of football to play. We’re still a bit off Brora and although we’re doing well, there’s still so much to play for.”
Campbell, along with fellow strikers Scott Barbour and Sean Butcher, have played a key role in their progress so far. All three have cracked double figures in goals, with the Broch rattling in 62 goals in 18 league games, behind only Locos and Brora.
“We’re quite lucky at Fraserburgh in that we have quite a lot of local players. We don’t have to far to get them,” added Campbell. “We’re lucky to have the strikers that we do. It doesn’t matter who we put in, we always seem to be a goal threat.
Consistency has been the key this season for the Broch this season, with their only league defeat coming at the hands of Locos in October. Their run to two cup finals and a third place in the Highland League is evidence of that.
“In the last few seasons we’ve been unlucky with injuries and it was the same at the start of this year,” said Campbell. “We’ve got players back and it’s almost like having new signings. We’ve got pretty much a full squad available for tonight and we’ve not had that luxury for the past while.
“It’s a combination of getting players back and players bonding with each other. We’ve played with each other for a few years now and we’re starting to gel together.”