ALLOA RFC vice-president Jim Gove believes Saturday's Caledonia Shield final clash with Caithness will be a great occasion for the Earlsfield club.

The Griffins will welcome the high-flying side from Wick to the Wee County at the weekend with the aim of securing their first win of the season over the league leaders.

And Gove reckons home advantage could prove crucial in helping the Clackmannanshire outfit in their quest for silverware.

He told Advertiser Sport: "It's going to be a massive occasion. It's amazing that we've made it to another final after reaching the Bowl final a few years ago and going on to win the national final at Murrayfield.

"For a club of our size, getting to these finals happens once in a generation, so it's amazing. The majority of the current squad played in that Bowl final so for them to be involved in two of these matches in such a short space of time is quite something.

"We are very glad we're not having to go up to Caithness for the game," he added. "That's just the luck of the draw.

"We've had a home quarter-final against Blairgowrie, a home semi-final against Grangemouth and now a home final against Caithness. If we're fortunate enough to beat Caithness we'll be at home again against Carrick in the national semi-final.

"Caithness will be a major challenge for us. They have only lost one game this season, and it was right at the start when they weren't at their strongest.

"From that point on they've won every league and cup match home and away. They have beaten us twice so it is a great challenge, but I think we've improved since we played them in January at Earlsfield.

"We also beat them twice last season so if we have a full squad, we can certainly challenge them.

"It gives us a great chance to win a trophy, and it will also put us one game away from Murrayfield. The squad know what a fantastic day that was three years ago and I'm sure they want to experience it again. Playing in the national stadium is a fantastic experience."

Alloa have enjoyed a successful spell since lifting the Caledonia Bowl in 2015, and Gove insisted that a mix of quality coaching and continuity within the squad have been key factors in their sustained fruitful spell.

He said: "I think the coaching we've had in place over the last four or five years, initially by Henry Edwards and now by his nephew Philip and Niall Gallacher, has definitely seen the players improve.

"We have a solid squad, and we've also made some additions over the last couple of years. The bulk of the squad have been together for a period of time now, and they are all maturing together.

"That's been proven both by our league standing and our performances in the Shield."

The vice-president has been delighted with Alloa's progress in recent years and believes they are now adjusting to the challenges of competing at a higher level.

Gove added: "The level we are at just now is where we want to be. We got promoted from the Midlands Division Two a couple of years ago and although it was nice to be winning by sixty or seventy points every week, it is much more competitive in this league.

"You know that any win is hard-earned, and that brings greater satisfaction. The downside for us is the increased travel, which brings a lot of challenges, but we did win comfortably in Aberdeen a few weeks ago so we are adapting well to that."