Lachie MacLeod wants to mark Banks o’ Dee’s first season in the Breedon Highland League by reaching the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup final.
The Aberdeen outfit face Buckie Thistle at Victoria Park in the semi-final of the League Cup this afternoon.
Dee were hit with a 24-point deduction in the league in October for fielding an ineligible player, but the chance of cup glory remains.
Striker MacLeod, 24, said: “We were under no illusions about how tricky our first season in the Highland League would be.
“We couldn’t expect what was going to happen with the points deduction.
“This is the biggest game of our season and the one we’ve been working towards.
“If we were to get to the Highland League Cup final at our first attempt that would be a pretty good achievement in a league as competitive as this.
“There’s quality in the squad and guys who had Highland League clubs at the door when we were in the Juniors.
“We’ve been fairly successful in the Juniors, but we knew this season wouldn’t be like that.
“We’ve had tougher games and tougher away games but getting to a final would give us the chance to win something and we’d have confidence in ourselves to go and do that.
“But we know we face a very difficult game against Buckie.”
Jags not short of motivation
Meanwhile, Buckie’s Marcus Goodall says final disappointments are fuelling their bid to win the League Cup.
The Jags have been beaten in the tournament’s last two finals and also fell at the final hurdle in this season’s Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield.
Local lad Goodall is keen to help his hometown team to glory.
The 21-year-old added: “The disappointment from the Aberdeenshire Shield is pushing us on because we don’t want to feel that again.
“I want to win things for the club and I know the supporters want to see us win things as well.
“They’ve had to wait a few years for something, Buckie’s a big club and the supporters give us great backing so we’d like to win something for them.
“As a player winning something would be special anyway, but to do it with my hometown team would be even better.
“Hopefully we can take a step towards that, but we know how tough a game it will be, Banks o’ Dee are a top team.”
News from around the Highland League
Elsewhere, in the Highland League Huntly welcome Forres Mechanics to Christie Park.
Ross Still, Robbie Foster, Callum Lamb and Max Berton are out for the Black and Golds, Angus Grant is a doubt but Alex Thoirs returns.
Craig Mackenzie and Ben Barron are back in contention for the Can-Cans, Kane Davies, Lucas Davidson, Robert Donaldson and Graham Fraser are still missing.
Rothes tackle Nairn County at Mackessack Park with Kyle Whyte and Gary Kerr sidelined, Fraser Robertson and Michael Finnis are doubts. Ross Tokely and Wayne MacKintosh are unavailable for the visitors.
Jack Halliday, Gordon MacNab, Marc MacGregor and Alan Farquhar are sidelined for Wick Academy’s Harmsworth Park encounter with Fraserburgh.
Clachnacuddin are without Calum Black and Kieran Chalmers for Keith’s visit to Grant Street Park.
Nizam Abdulkarim, Kieran Mooney and Nick Gray are out for the Maroons with Ryan Robertson, Michael Ironside and Nathan McKeown doubtful.
Liam Cheyne, Andrew Watt and Rory Brown are absent for Turriff United, who host Brora Rangers at the Haughs.
James Wallace, Joe Malin, Josh Meekings and Andrew Macleod are out for the Cattachs.