Masterton Trevs Sports Athletic won't be lulled into any false sense of security leading into their Wairarapa Football Knockout Cup grand final match with Carterton Skulls at Hullena Park on Saturday.
Captain Doug Gardner knows anything less than a comfortable victory to his championship league-winning side - which will beplaying in the Capital third division series next year - would be seen by most as a big surprise. But he says his players will be taking nothing for granted.
"Yes, we'd probably be paying 98c [for $1] on the TAB but, no, we won't be going out there thinking we only have to turn up to win," Gardner said. "Football isn't like that."
Gardner recalls Athletic and Skulls doing battle towards the end of the championship league and while Athletic won 6-1 the scoreline did nothing like justice to the spirited opposition they had to withstand.
"They [Skulls] mightn't take things quite as seriously as we do training-wise but they've got some very good players ... you don't make finals without having something going for you, do you?"
Three players who joined the Athletic ranks this season after having previously been with the now-defunct Carterton Wanderers have made a big impact in 2011: goalkeeper Charles Kendall, left back Graham Hunt and striker Adam Bain. The latter has already sealed the golden boot award for scoring most goals in local league play.
Glen Fraser is a "pocket rocket" midfielder who has been named Athletic's Player of the Year, and Shayne Herrick has been a standout in the right back role.
