Peter Weatherson has great faith that his Shettleston Juniors side will not crack under the strain of trying to win the Exsel Group Sectional League Cup on Sunday (kick-off 2pm).

The famous old Glasgow club have hit a purple patch of form to remain unbeaten after 10 starts this season under the astute management of Weatherson and co-player/boss Ryan McStay but they face the ultimate test in the Somervell Park staged showpiece finale against a similarly unbeaten Rob Roy.

One-time Annan Athletic and Morton ace Weatherson believes it’s a challenge Shettleston can look forward to with confidence even if the realist in him accepts the Super First Division outfit are underdogs.

“Ryan and I have made a point of preparing for the final in much the same way as we have every game since the start of this season,” he said.

“Nothing has changed in the way we’ve gone about our business and why should it when the team have been performing consistently well and getting results?

“The good habits are already instilled and the dressing room is buoyant so we see our job as to simply keep things bubbling along. If players cannot get themselves up for a cup final then they shouldn’t be in the game of football.”

In team news, Town midfield battler Jordan Dalziel is out with damaged knee ligaments, while the final might be too soon for ex-Newcastle United ace Stevie Logan whose recovery from surgery has limited his Junior appearances to coming on as a substitute for the closing 20 minutes of last weekend’s 1-0 defeat of Clydebank.

The prospects of highly-rated goalkeeper Gary Whyte’s ankle injury clearing up to allow him to play on Sunday is no better than 50-50, according to Weatherson.

“Stevie Logan has great potential and appetite for the game so Ryan and I have no doubt he will be a terrific asset but the last thing we want is to push him too hard when he’s not fully fit,” he said.

“Gary has been laid up since our semi-final victory over Wishaw at the end of last month and has set his sights on being back for the final but he’ll need to prove his readiness after such a lengthy spell out.

“In his absence Dean Trainor has impressed since stepping up from East Kilbride amateur football and he has a superb temperament which will serve him well if asked to play.

“We’ll have a better idea of where we stand at training tonight and afterwards we will tell the players to go away and have a good week before reporting on Sunday when we expect them to be in the best possible condition.

“We can ask no more that at the final whistle they are able to look in the mirror and say they gave their all for themselves and their team-mates.”

Shettleston’s co-management had a first look at Rob Roy in last night’s friendly joust with Cumbernauld United and have also had their cards marked about the qualities of Willie Sawyers, Kevin Watt, Chris Duff and Gary McMenamin whose brother Colin was a Morton team-mate of Weatherson’s.

“Rob Roy did their homework on us by taking in our game against Clydebank so we did the same to get a few pointers on their dangermen, even though Ryan and myself share the view that it’s more important to concentrate on our own team’s strengths,” Weatherson said

“We’ve seen Gary play on numerous occasions and know how influential he can be. Sawyers has a reputation as a terrific finisher and cannot be afforded too much space, while Watt and Duff are busy and skilful forwards so it’s understandable if Rob Roy fancy their chances of turning us over.

“If both teams play as they can, it should be a great advert for Junior football and I just hope we have a strong set of officials who will control the game and not be influenced by the occasion.”