Colville Park AFC set for Scottish Amateur Cup final crunch this Sunday

A tumultuous season for Colville Park AFC could see them crowned Scottish Amateur Cup winners for the third time in four years this Sunday, writes Craig Goldthorp.
Colville Park won M and M Cup last monthColville Park won M and M Cup last month
Colville Park won M and M Cup last month

The Motherwell side – winners in 2016 and 2017 – face Eastfield in the Hampden Park showcase in what will be Michael Kennedy’s last match as manager before he departs to take over at Darvel Juniors.

Colville Park AFC match secretary Andy Williamson told the Times and Speaker: “Michael has been with us for four years and he’s moving on at the end of the season along with a significant number of players and backroom staff.

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“Michael will probably take seven or eight of our players with him to Darvel. He has been phenomenal for us.

“He has already managed us to two Scottish Amateur Cup wins and seven or eight of the current squad were in those victorious teams.

“Although we’ve been there before that doesn’t guarantee anything this weekend.

“But if we play to our potential I think we’ll be fine.”

Colville – who will be bossed by current Central Scottish League team manager Robert Paterson next season – go into the Hampden showpiece on a high having sealed the Foster’s Central Scottish AFL Premier Division crown last weekend.

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The Motherwell side recorded a comfortable 4-1 success at Bannockburn.

Colville prevailed thanks to goals by Darren Miller, Chrissy Craig, Kenny Marshall and Paul McLaughlin.

Meanwhile, their title rivals St Patrick’s were losing 1-0 at Eastfield.

Those results mean that leaders Colville end the campaign with 59 points from their 22 matches and can’t be caught as champions because second placed St Patrick’s have four points fewer with only one match still to play.

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It is the fourth consecutive season that Colville have won the Premier Division.

By contrast, Colville were defeated 3-2 by Eastfield in last Wednesday night’s Cinema Cup semi-final at Kilsyth.

Miller twice scored to put Colville 1-0 and 2-1 up respectively, but they couldn’t hold onto this advantage by the end.

That result – and their subsequent success against St Patrick’s – illustrates just how tough a nut Eastfield could be to crack in this Sunday’s final.

“The final will be a totally different game,” Andy added.

“There is everything to play for. It will be the team that makes and takes their chances that will win.

“It should be a good game between two sides who like to play decent football.”

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