FURNESS captain Scott Pearcey is hoping to lift his third trophy of the season when his side take on Cleator in the Higson Cup final.

Pearcey knows his team could have an almighty battle on their hands to beat the 2013 National Village Cup winners in Sunday’s rearranged showpiece at Poolside, Haverigg.

Furness are chasing a quadruple trophy haul this season, having already won the South Cumbria Twenty20 and County Cup competitions.

They lie second in the North Lacs and Cumbria League Premier Division, eight points behind reigning champions Workington.

Victories at Keswick tomorrow and Dalton at home next week will set up a probable title-decider in West Cumbria in three weeks against a Workington team Furness have beaten home and away this summer.

And there is the small matter of the Higson Cup which is now sponsored by the Cumberland News .

It is a competition Furness have won three times in the past eight years.

But to make that a fourth success in nine, the Rams will have to defeat a Cleator side packed with cup final experience and know how, and Pearcey knows his side will have to be on top of their game.

“The Higson Cup final is always a special occasion to be a part of, the league is the main objective, but the Higson follows closely behind,” said Pearcey, whose dad Grant was a member of the Furness cup- winning team 17 years ago.

“Haverigg’s wicket is usually very good, so we are looking forward to a great game of cricket.

“Cleator have a great pedigree in cup competitions. They have some dangerous players who are capable of winning games on their own so everyone will have to be at their best if we are to win it.”

Furness have lost just one league game all season, crashing at mid-table Cockermouth on the same weekend they went out of the ECB National Club Championship to Ormskirk at the last-32 stage.

A major factor as to why Furness trail Workington by eight points is bad luck with the weather, but they still have a chance to chase down the leaders over the final three matches.

What they need to do is beat Keswick and Dalton, while hoping one or both of those same two sides can upset Workington, as they also play them in the run-in.

The chances are Furness will need to win at the Ernest Valentine Memorial Ground to wrestle back the championship trophy. And whatever happens in the final three weekends, Pearcey is proud of his side’s efforts over the past five months.

“We are all really happy with how the season has gone so far, with unbeaten T20, County and Higson Cup runs, making the last 32 of the National Cup and only losing one game in the league,” he said.

“I think we’d have taken that at the beginning of the season.

“We have done well so far but we have four big games left to win if we want to hit our targets from the start of the season. In the league, we have two games against Keswick and Dalton, both teams are fighting to stay up so will be tough.

“Hopefully we can get through those games and have a title-decider against Workington last game. The weather hasn’t been kind this year but if we go into the last game with a chance of winning it then we will be happy.”