Linlithgow Rose keen to rekindle cup-winning habit, but Largs pose final threat

LINLITHGOW Rose, twice winners already this century, aim to justify their tag of hot favourites to see off the challenge of Largs Thistle in tomorrow's Emirates Scottish Junior Cup final.

Finalists on five previous occasions, Rose's last appearance on the big day was in 2007 when they completed a league and cup double by beating Kelty Hearts at East End Park – and another double success remains on the cards this season.

The current squad, skippered by Danny Smith, contains eight players from the 2007 side and is supplemented by a number of players with senior experience, including former Raith Rovers and Ayr United defender Craig McEwan. Man of many clubs Tommy Coyne has been a regular net finder and former Clyde youngster Roddy McLennan has also adapted well to the junior scene.

Rose are also well served when it comes to managerial experience of cup success, with Dave Baikie having won the trophy twice while in charge of Tayport. At the heart of his defence tomorrow will be John Ward, a 2007 survivor who also won the cup under Baikie at Tayport.

Rose may be favourites, but that cuts little ice in Largs where Thistle's manager, the former Ayr United goalkeeper Sandy MacLean, has ended years of relative obscurity for the club.

The club won the West Region First Division last season and have acquitted themselves well among the big guns of Talbot, Arthurlie, Pollok, Petershill and Irvine Meadow in the ultra-competitive West Premier Division. They currently lie eighth in that league and are also in the semi-finals of the West of Scotland Cup, so should not be underestimated.

The sides have only met twice before in the Scottish Cup, with Rose winning both times, 1-0 in 1962 and 3-2 in 1969.

Thistle won their only previous Junior Cup final, beating Glenafton Athletic 1-0 in the notorious 1994 final at Ibrox.

That match, remembered in junior circles as "the shame game", featured a mass brawl, three red cards and a seemingly endless string of yellow cards. His performance that day propelled referee John Underhill into the senior ranks and 16 years later he says can still recall the match as if it were yesterday.

A professor at Edinburgh University, Underhill said: "It seemed that almost any and every possible event happened in the 90 minutes, and after coming through that game the rest of my refereeing career seemed pretty easy by comparison".

Underhill is hopeful that tomorrow's referee, Des Roache, will face a less challenging afternoon than he did in his final match as a Grade Two official. As a former Scottish Junior 800 metres and 1500m champion, Roache should certainly be up to speed on tomorrow's events.

Nevertheless, this year's final carries echoes of that 1994 showdown which Largs also went into as rank outsiders, even less fancied than they are against Rose tomorrow. They won then, thanks to a Pat McCurdy goal, and MacLean will doubtless be instilling in this season's side that they have the ability to pull of a similar shock.

McLean, whose day job is with Strathclyde Fire and Rescue in Greenock has put his knowledge of Inverclyde football to good use in persuading the core of his squad to make the trip round the coast to Largs.

A number of his squad have been playing together since their days in boys club football and their manager believes that spirit of togetherness can stand them in good stead tomorrow.

On paper, it's easy to see why Rose will fancy their chances. They have the track record in the competition; they have the manager who knows what it takes to win the most sought-after trophy in the junior game, and man-for-man they look to have the stronger squad.

Largs Thistle, however, won't go down without a fight.