A BARRHEAD football club are hoping to walk away with silverware this weekend after reaching the final of the Scottish Youth Cup. 

After clinching promotion to the regional premier league for next season, Arthurlie FC’s 21s are hoping to clinch a league and cup double on Friday when they take on Tower Hearts at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie. 

They will be facing a stern test in the final as Tower Hearts clinched the title of the premier league that Arthurlie will be competing in next season. 

However, coach Sean MacNeil thinks that they have shown this season that they can compete with the best teams around. 

He said: “This is our first year at this age group so to win the league and get this far has been brilliant for the boys. 

“If we were to win on Friday we would be the first team to do the double in our first season. 

“We haven’t played Tower Hearts before but we have scouted them for a few games and we know that they are a good team, but that means they are going into this as the favourites with pressure on them. 

“We are quite happy to be the underdogs on Friday, I think that will suit us. We know that we are capable of playing against that kind of opposition. 

“At the start of the season we expected promotion but the cup can be unpredictable, so we are very happy.

“Already this year we have played against junior teams and won, and have run others close. On our day we can give anyone a game.”

The coaches will be hoping for a reaction after a tough semi-final in Rutherglen.

Losing 1-0 until the final minutes against Glencairn Juniors Boy’s Club, Arthurlie’s 21s got a last minute penalty to force the game into extra time before sealing their place in the final with a 3-1 win after extra time. 

MacNeil admitted that the performance was far from the standard that they are used to.

He added: “The cup has been a real mixed bag so far and we have beat some good teams to get to the final. 

“The penalty in the semi-final really spurred us on as we hadn’t played well at all until that point. 

“Hopefully that continues and we are going into Friday with a relaxed outlook.”

Arthurlie making it to the final this year marks the second consecutive year where a team from Barrhead has made it to the Youth Cup final at the under 21 age group. 

Barrhead YFC got to the same stage as the Arthurlie squad in 2017, but unfortunately lost out in the final. 

Club bosses emphasised that this was a great achievement for both clubs, highlighting the positive impact this would have on football in the town. 

The club will also take with them a loyal band of supporters, with four buses already booked up to travel east to Airdrie. 

Around 350 fans from Barrhead are set to make the trip, with those within the club saying that the tight-knit nature of the squad being one of the great strengths of the team. 

MacNeil said: “We have a squad of 18 who are all friends. After a game on a Saturday they’re still together so it means we spend a lot of time together. 

“Since the turn of the year we have been training three times a week most of the time as well, so the boys spend a lot of time together. 

“Our progression as an academy has been great, and we now have boys who are going along to junior teams in the are and that is good for both them and us as a club. 

“The support we have had from people in the town has been absolutely great and other teams have been really helpful as well, getting right behind us. 

“There will be nerves come Friday night but we know that we are a good team and with our high intensity we can shock them and show them what they are up against.” 

The match takes place on Friday night with a 7.30pm kick off. 

For more information on the game visit www.facebook.com/ArthurlieFC21s.