Reid urges team to one final push at Hampden

Ayr United manager Brian Reid has called for one last push from his players as they aim to book their place in the Scottish Communities League Cup final.

The Irn-Bru First Division strugglers have defied all the odds to reach the last four of the competition and have been rewarded with a mouth-watering clash with local rivals Kilmarnock at Hampden on Saturday. But Reid has warned the Honest Men against seeing the highly anticipated Ayrshire derby as the pinnacle of their achievement.

He said: “I don’t want the players thinking they have done their job this season. We have managed to get to a semi-final and, don’t get me wrong, that’s a great achievement for them and for the club. But we are 90 minutes away from a national final which would have been beyond anybody’s expectations considering we are a part-time club.

“We are looking for another big push. They could become heroes overnight. It means so much to everybody.

“I’m not looking for glorious failure now, I’m looking to go that one step extra.”

Ayr have already overcome Clydesdale Bank Premier League opposition in the shape of Inverness, Hearts and St Mirren. Reid added: “I certainly don’t think they will underestimate us. We’ll just have to approach it in the right manner and defend properly and, when our chances do come, we need to make sure we take them.

The former Rangers, Burnley and Blackpool defender says guiding a part-time club to a national final would be among the best of his achievements in football. Reid said: “I played in play-off finals and the Champions League with Rangers and stuff like that and they were all good things. This is different altogether being a manager. I certainly would be very proud and the players have done very well.”