Ally MacDonald and Craig Ewen are determined to lead Brora Rangers and Keith a step closer to glory in the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup.
MacDonald’s Cattachs take on Ewen’s Maroons at Dudgeon Park in this afternoon’s rearranged semi-final following two postponements in the last fortnight.
Fraserburgh await the winners in the final at Harlaw Park, Inverurie on a date still to be decided.
In the last decade Brora have won 12 trophies, including the Highland League Cup in 2016 and 2022.
MacDonald became player-manager in February and says this is the most important game of his tenure so far as he aims to deliver more silverware for the Sutherland club.
He said: “I’d say it is the biggest game of my time as manager. A manager at Brora is judged on winning things and I don’t hide from that.
“We’ve got a chance to get to a cup final to try to win something.
“In the league you can make up for a bad result in other games. But you don’t get that chance in the cup so for that reason it’s the most important game I’ve had up to now.
“I knew taking the job there would be pressure to win things.
“As a manager I know you have to deliver.
“No matter how long I’ve been at the club as a player I know if I’m not producing what the club want then they’ve got to look after their best interests.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to win things as a player and I’ve been in that pressure environment with Brora for long enough and I don’t think it’s changed too much as the manager.”
Maroons look for more cup memories
Keith are the most successful side in the history of the Highland League Cup, lifting the trophy on 10 occasions.
But the Maroons haven’t reached a final in any competition since winning this tournament in 2013.
Ewen and his players are eager to change that and he added: “I’m well aware of the previous successes Keith have enjoyed in the competition.
“I know none of that has been in the recent past and there’s a hunger to try to bring some success back to Keith again.
“Getting through to the final would be a massive step towards doing that.
“We’re well aware of the history and hopefully the boys can produce their best to try to get us through.
“We’re going to need to come up with a similar performance to Buckie in the last round if we’re going to get through.
“We’ll need to defend really well, the boys will need to stick together and we’ll need to ride our luck at times.
“There’s belief within the group that on our day we can compete with the better teams.
“Hopefully it’s a day where we’re at our best and give ourselves a chance to progress to the final.”