'I must be the longest serving non league manager in Britain' - Thornton Hibs boss Craig Gilbert looks ahead to cup final

Having beaten Craigroyston 4-1 away, Leith Athletic 2-0 away, Crossgates Primrose 2-0 away and Lochore Welfare 4-2 at home in earlier rounds – those latter three teams all play in higher divisions than Thornton - Gilbert’s second division shock troops are in the Alex Jack Cup final against fellow Fife side Luncarty on Sunday, November 27, at a venue still to be decided.

"I must be the longest serving non league manager in Britain,” the Memorial Park boss told the Fife Free Press. "I take pride in that because I’ve been there through all the ups and downs.

"I’ve won a couple of leagues, I’ve won a couple of trophies, I’ve also been relegated.

"So you take the good with the bad and it’s sometimes a very difficult job.

"But it’s fantastic when things like this happen.

"We had a good Saturday night (after beating Lochore 4-2 in the semi-final on October 22).

"We stayed out all night and the boys totally deserved it, it was great.”

Having seen off three higher league sides already in the tournament, Gilbert’s men will have to do likewise in the final as Luncarty play in the first division.

"I think both teams will be confident,” he said. “They are a hit or a miss in their league campaign and it’s the same with us.

"The only downside of it is we’ve actually drawn Luncarty in the Challenge Cup third round the week before the final (the sides will meet at Luncarty’s Brownlands Park in a third round tie on Saturday, November 19).

"So I would imagine both teams will be trying to outsmart each other the week before the final. I would think both teams will probably play slightly changed teams.

"We’ve got crucial players that if you played in the Challenge Cup tie and they got injured, it would be horrific with the cup final coming up.

"We are never going to win the Challenge Cup because teams from the whole of Scotland play in it, the east and the west.

"It’s great getting a wee run in it, but we’re not going to beat Auchinleck Talbot, we’re not going to beat Pollok, or Kilwinning Rangers, that’s teams with a lot of money.

"This cup final is obviously more important to us than trying to win a Challenge Cup third round tie.”