AN early season red card threatens to overshadow tomorrow’s Euroscot Eng Sectional League Cup Final between Petershill and Vale of Clyde.

Peasy cornerstone defender Jordan Chisholm was allegedly deemed guilty of an elbowing offence by whistler Calum Haswell following a clash with David McGowan of Beith.

The incident happened when their clubs played out a 2-2 draw in a Super Premier Division opener at Bellsdale Park back in August.

The towering centre-back’s protests of innocence fell on deaf ears, possibly as a result of McGowan being left with a bloodied face.

However, he took some consolation in the aftermath when the Mighty midfielder absolved McGowan of any blame and insisted nothing more than an accidental collision had occurred.

Chisholm lodged an appeal against an automatic suspension but this decision has cruelly come back to bite him after this week’s meeting of West Region beaks upheld the referee’s version of events.

And they imposed an immediate three-game ban that rules Chisholm out of tomorrow's showpiece occasion.

The player was not for making any comment last night, however Peasy boss Willie Patterson insisted his player was the victim of a refereeing injustice.

He said: “It’s a massive loss for us to have the big man missing for the final, but he’s the one hurting the most and I can well understand why because he did nothing wrong whatsoever.

“We as a club are backing him all the way, but I really don’t know whether the West Region appeals process allows him to take matters any further.”

Last night, yet another Junior gaffer, Johnny Miller of Beith, came forward to support Chisholm.

He said: "Look, there’s been no love lost between the Petershill people and myself down through the years so doing them favours doesn’t come easy.

“But I have to say David McGowan has been as much the perpetrator as the victim in this instance given he has accidentally run into Chisholm and it’s only right that we are prepared to speak at any appeal hearing for the big lad

“ If someone had deliberately elbowed one of my players then I’d want the book thrown at them but it just didn’t happen in this case.”

Petershill’s off-field turmoil and the fact he was on holiday until last night has not prevented Patterson overseeing his side’s preparations for the Somervell Park-staged final in conjunction with No.2 Paul Kelly.

He added: “An old Ashfield team-mate Jimmy McCabe has now watched Vale of Clyde on no fewer than five occasions so we’ve a fair idea of how they will line-up on the day

“The former Partick Thistle and Petershill midfielder James McKinstry can be influential if we stand off him while Connor Stevenston is also decent on the ball while the twin stoppers Joe Doyle and Dean Currie give little away defensively

“Up front, the physical attributes of broken-leg victim big Gavin Ross will be difficult to replace.

"However, Billy Stevenston and the former Bellshill Athletic striker Ryan Connolly both know where the goal is and will need to be carefully watched for every minute of the 90.

“Being aware of the Vale’s strengths is the correct approach to take but I do believe the Cup will be won or lost by what Petershill do on the day.”

Bookmakers odds consider the Super Premier Division outfit to be certainties to come out on top against their lower league opponents and secure a fourth Sectional Cup success, however Patterson scoffed at the favourites tag.

Last night he insisted: “Cup Finals are notorious for never going according to plan or the form book and my players will end up with egg on their faces if they turn up expecting to go straight to a trophy presentation.

“In some respects, coming into the game on the back of two consecutive defeats is not a bad thing as the players are hardly likely to be harbouring any feelings of complacency.”

Stephen McLadrigan’s injury absence after undergoing cruciate ligament surgery has severely blunted Petershill’s cutting edge and Patterson has a key decision to make in whether on loan Queen's Park frontman Ryan Hynes , Chris Craig or Scott Davidson will partner Michael Daly in attack.

And an even more crucial selection call as to who might be wearing the goalkeeping gloves was set to be made at a training session earlier this morning with the Peasy boss admitting his experienced regular No.1 Stevie McNeil and deputy Danny McLeay are both struggling to be passed fit.

He said: “Their injuries forced us into signing Bruno Maltoni for facing Auchinleck in the West Cup last Saturday and there’s every likelihood we may turn to him again.”

Desperate to see his between the sticks counterpart McNeil running out tomorrow is Tin Pail shot-stopper Jon Connolly who thinks a bit of Junior footballing history could be in the offing given both he and McNeil are captains of their respective sides.

“It must be pretty unique for two goalkeepers to be skippering their teams in a Cup Final at any level of football let alone the Juniors,” said the 34-year-old who is desperate to get his hands on silverware that the Tollcross club have never previously held aloft in their 142-year history.

He added: “Our dressing room was a bit down at the start of this week following Gavin’s injury, but it was so typical of the gaffer Ian Currie to give the whole place a boost by going out and brokering a loan deal to bring back Scott McManus from Queen's Park.

“He is an out-and -out goalscorer who netted 40 goals in his last season here before stepping up to Clyde and you could visibly see the lift it gave the players just to have him buzzing around at training in midweek .

“Petershill having to go without McGladrigan and Scott coming on board to lead our forward line might just have resulted in a more level playing field so we’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out tomorrow.”