Devonshire Colts will enter Sunday’s FA Cup final against Boulevard wearing the underdogs’ tag.

But this won’t bother Colts vice -president Lee Holder in the least.

“Anyone expecting a mismatch on Sunday is going to be in for a rude awakening,” he warned yesterday.

“We have already been promoted and so we are no longer a First Division club - this is our mentality. Last weekend (against St.George’s in the FA Cup semi-final) was our tricky match, and we overcame it.”

Holder said winning the coveted showpiece would be like putting the proverbial icing on the cake. But winning, he noted, wasn’t the only thing.

“It is always wonderful to win, but we have already learned a valuable lesson and that is that we can play to a plan and achieve success. What we have learned is that if we set out a plan and train hard and dedicate ourselves to that plan, then we can be successful.”

Holder insisted the underdogs would not be intimidated by the opposition or overawed by the big occasion.

“In some ways this is almost like a neighbourhood game because these are players who are familiar with each other,” he said. “Some of our players live in the same hood - so to speak - where the Boulevard boys also live. And so they have brushed shoulders with them all of their lives.”

If there’s one advantage Colts will have over Blazers on Sunday, it’s that they have already played on the spacious National Sports Centre this year.

Colts overcame Southampton Rangers in extra-time there to win the Shield final last month.

“Our legs know what it feels like having to run over that surface. And so I do expect this will be an asset for us having recently played up there,” Holder added.

With the exception of PHC Zebras, no other club have appeared in more FA Cup finals than Colts. Sunday will mark the 14th time the side have made it to the prestigious final. And if all goes according to plan, Holder and company hope to be celebrating a fifth cup title overall when the final whistle blows.

“Obviously winning it will be putting the icing on the cake,” he said. “And it’s always frustrating if you go there and come away empty handed.

“So I can only hope that the old axiom is true for us - ‘success breeds success’.”