THERE have been many highs and lows at Mount Wise this season and Newquay will be bidding to end what has been a turbulent campaign with victory in the Cornwall Charity Cup final this evening.

Despite the disappointment of finishing fifth in division one west, Peppermints' boss Jim Hilton believes beating St Austell at Blaise Park (7.30pm) would go a long way in compensating for their failure to clinch promotion.

And it will be tonight's opponents who will be playing in next season's South West Peninsula League top flight after the Lillywhites finished runners-up to champions Perranporth, who are ineligible for promotion. After finishing second last season, Hilton felt there was "no better time for Newquay to gain promotion" this year.

But the campaign was tarnished somewhat by the deaths of club stalwarts Brian Biggin and Graham Drew, and, of course, the unsavoury scenes at Poltair Park in October when two St Austell players – Lee Whetter and Ben Douglas – were suspended following a fracas with Newquay supporters.

Now, though, Hilton wants to end the season on a positive note and, with a Newquay win, dedicate victory to the late Biggin and Drew.

He said: "It's been a difficult season, for one reason or another, but let's go out there and end the season on a high. We were second last year and we felt, with everything in place, the time was right to get promotion.

"But it just hasn't happened for us this season for a number of reasons. Losing Brian Biggin and Graham Drew was a massive blow to the club and it would be nice to dedicate the trophy to them.

"Of course, there was the incident at St Austell too earlier in the season. But I would like to think we are bigger and better as a club, and hopefully we can end the season with a bit of sliverware."

Newquay will be boosted by the return of former professional Paul Robertson. The striker's last appearance came as a second half substitute in the Peppermints' semi-final win over Dobwalls.

Since then, and with tonight's game in mind, Robertson has been recuperating following surgery on a foot injury. Hilton revealed: "Robbo has been hindered by injury this year, which has been very frustrating for him. He played in the semi-final and then we agreed it would be best to keep him out and make sure he's fit for the final."