John Sheridan wants Beith to serve up a sparkling performance to end a champagne season when they face Irvine Meadow in the Ayrshire Cup Final tonight.

Shez freely admits it would be the stuff dreams are made of if the Mighty could add another trophy prize to their stunning ETHXenergy Scottish Junior Cup triumph in this 46th and final game of a truly memorable campaign.

“It’s only a long season because we have been so successful as a team and I fancy most Junior players would swap places with us in a heartbeat," said the inspirational skipper and defensive cornerstone.

“To finish with a second piece of silverware would put the gloss on everything we’ve achieved and my only disappointment is a lot of players will be missing out on the final and their contributions have helped get us there in the first place.”

The big stopper was referring to the fact he will be leading out a much-changed Beith line-up at Abbey Park from the one he was at the head of going into their Rugby Park showpiece clash with Pollok last month.

His central defensive partner Kevin McDonald, Zander Ryan and the feared striking pairing of Andy Reid and Kenny McLean are unavailable while injuries rule out Tommy Martin and Ian Fisher.

The 37-year-old added: "We also have Darren Christie rated doubtful at best, but hopefully he comes through a late fitness test to team up with Davie McGowan and Thomas Collins to provide us with an attacking threat and there’s also the prospect of Jamie Wilson throwing his hat in the ring even though he only flies back from holiday this afternoon.

“Despite missing a number of bodies, I don’t detect any fear in our dressing room and all the guys are looking forward to this Final occasion.”

Beith gaffer Johnny Millar echoed his team captain’s take on things in saying: "I’d much rather Beith were playing in the final throes of the season rather than be finished around the first couple of weeks in May.

“I don’t imagine it would take too much of the shine of our season to end up on the losing side tonight but hopefully we can finish on a high.”

Irvine Meadow manager David Greig was keeping his playing cards close to chest last night and would only admit to several regulars being posted missing because of holiday commitments.

He said: "We won’t be in a position to field our strongest line-up, but I cannot think of a Junior team that could at this stage of the season.

“Beith are the Scottish Cup holders and will start as favourites, however my players are motivated by the thought of getting hold of a trophy as a way of saying thanks to our supporters.

The showpiece cup final is being played against the backdrop of a quite sensational sequence of Abbey Park events that occurred in the aftermath of Kilwinning Rangers securing promotion to the Super Premier Division last Friday night with a 3-0 play-off second leg defeat of Shettleston.

Terracing whispers had strongly hinted at all not being well in the Abbey Park background and this was confirmed by Buffs club officials allegedly sacking team manager Chris Strain by text following his side’s superb victory.

The furore created in the Ayrshire town when news broke of this shock axing of the manager who has led Kilwinning to back-to -back promotions resulted in the elected officials being personally castigated on social media circles and brought about the cancellation of the Ayrshire club’s planned AGM last night.

Now, unconfirmed reports allege these beleaguered officials will be resigning en-masse following tonight's final, leaving rank and file supporters to form a new committee whose first task is to reinstate Strain to the manager’s chair.

PLAYING TONIGHT (Kick-off 7.30pm: Ayrshire Cup Final. Irvine Meadow v Beith(Abbey Park, Kilwinning.)

Elsewhere on the managerial front comes news of recently sacked Greenock gaffer Martin Campbell taking up the reins at Neilston along with his backroom team of John Paul Dow, John Boyd and Billy McCorkindale .

And the resignation of highly regarded Rob Roy coach Paul Ronald did not go unnoticed in Senior circles as he is believed to have secured a move to Hampden Park as assistant manager to Gus McPherson at Queens Park .

PLAYING TOMORROW (7.30pm)Euroscot Eng Central League Cup Final: Pollok v Greenock. (Somervell Park, Cambuslang)