Fife team bids to make history by lifting Scottish Amateur Cup at Hampden Park

Hearts are bidding to become the first Fife team to lift the trophy for 34 years – Leven-based Norton House won it in 1989 – and expectations are high that they can achieve the feat under manager Sean Simpson against a club which has never before reached Scottish amateur football’s main cup showpiece.

"It would be absolutely amazing to win the cup,” said Cupar secretary Hayley McHugh. “It means the absolute world to the club, the supporters and the town.

"To finally lift that trophy after getting there three times and being beaten would just be a dream come true really.

"We don’t know much about Steins Thistle (who play in the Central Scotland league system’s Hills Solicitors Championship) but we’re not going to take the game lightly.

"We will treat them with the respect they deserve. Nobody gets to the final through luck, so we just focus on our own preparation.

"We are taking five busloads of suppporters and other organisations have arranged buses as well so we should be very well supported.”

The match will be Cupar’s first Scottish Amateur Cup final appearance since they lost 1-0 to Drumchapel United at Hampden 16 years ago.

Hearts warmed up for next Wednesday night’s showpiece in fine style by winning 4-0 at home to Pittenweem Rovers in a league game on Saturday.

Goals by Cammy Greenhill (2) and Richie Lawson (2) did the damage as Cupar moved onto 36 points in the Smith & Grant (Solicitors & Estate Agents) Premier Division, 10 points behind leaders Leven United with three games in hand.

"The league is still in our sights so we have to work hard to get the points on the board,” McHugh added.

"We still have Leven to play as well (away from home on Tuesday, May 23) so if we win all our games it’s in our hands, but it’s definitely not an easy task.

"That game will potentially be a title decider. We played Leven at home on the first day of the season and they beat us 1-0, our only loss this term.”