THIS season's Touchline Sports Suffolk Senior Cup is proving a great advert for the Metaltec SIL.Of the eight teams going into quarter-final action tomorrow only three are from the Ridgeons League.

By Elvin King

THIS season's Touchline Sports Suffolk Senior Cup is proving a great advert for the Metaltec SIL.

Of the eight teams going into quarter-final action tomorrow only three are from the Ridgeons League.

An SIL side has not lifted this trophy at Portman Road since 2000 when Grundisburgh beat Needham Market 3-1 - but this could be their year.

Stowmarket Town and Cornard are two of the remaining Ridgeons representatives - and they are respectively seventh and fourth from bottom in Division One.

Debenham Leisure Centre are fourth, and favourites to win the competition - just three years after leaving junior football.

Dave Hubbick, manager of Stowmarket, knows the danger his side faces against Crane Sports at Greens Meadow.

“There is never a gap between the two leagues on the field in this competition,” said Hubbick.

“League status means little, and we know we have a game on our hands.

“We must ensure that we do not approach the game like mugs.

“In our position we have to be pleased to take any opportunities we can grasp.”

Stowmarket, who played in the Suffolk Premier Cup for just under 40 years up to 2004/05, last won the Senior Cup in 1965 with a 4-0 victory over Orwell Works.

“We are in a transitional period after relegation to the Ridgeons League, First Division,” added Hubbick. “We are building through the youth team, and this takes a lot of organisation.

“I never expected us to be worse than last season, but there have been a number of long-term injuries and I have yet been able to name an unchanged side.

“We would all like to be top of the league and win every cup we enter. But it is not as easy as that and the Senior Cup takes a lot of hard work. There is no easy route.”

Hubbick has played in two Senior Cup finals for Woodbridge Town and was on the managerial side when Ipswich Wanderers reached Portman Road in the competition.

Stowmarket have not watched Crane play, with the visitors capable of making an impact 23 seasons after beating Ipswich United 2-1 in their last final.

Tony Hall's Brantham will fancy their chances at Cornard. In his playing days Hall played under current Cornard manager Chris Symes during his time at Bury Town.

Capel Plough lost after extra time to Walsham-le-Willows in last season's thrilling final but they gained revenge in the previous round by beating their Ridgeons opponents 1-0.

They now face Micky Squirrell and Kevin Cunningham's Grundisburgh - a team who won the competition four times in six years up to 2000.

All four quarter-final matches kick-off at 1.30pm.