Moffat’s 2021 ends in cup double

In doing so, the youngster has now matched his dad’s year in terms of trophies, with Alan Moffat, assistant manager at Dunipace, helping the East of Scotland Football League first division conference A side win their first trophy this century. Manager Danny Smith’s Pace side picked up the delayed 2020 South Challenge Cup in August after defeating Lowland League side Broomhill. “It’s been a year for the family we will never forget despite everything that is happening in the world,” Alan told us. “The cup win for Dunipace was special and to do it against a side from a couple of tiers above was a real achievement for the players, myself and Danny. “The club is in a really good place at the moment and things are going in the right direction. “We have a really talented side for this level and they are giving everything for the team.” His son Owen has been a standout for Celtic’s B side in the Lowland League this season but was nowhere near the first-team picture at Lennoxtown until a couple of weeks ago, with his boss admitting the 19-year-old “wasn’t in the calculations” at the start of the month. The Australian spoke highly of the winger’s talent and drive, saying: “Life is about opportunity – not just being in the right place at the right time but also being ready for it. “Moff probably wasn’t in the calculations two weeks before the cup final, but we just had so many injuries and we brought him into training and he has looked bright. “That, to me, is a lesson for every player out there. You have to be ready for that opportunity. No one is going to write down the date it’s going to come. That’s not how a career goes. “It was good to have him to be able to throw on at the end there because I knew Mikey and Kyogo wouldn’t last the distance,” he said after the cup final victory over Hibernian. The 19-year-old has a real chance of staying in the first team fold at Lennoxtown and his dad hopes he can keep his place. “He’s done brilliantly and it is all down to the amount of effort he puts into his football every day,” said Alan. “I am beyond proud of what is he doing every day. “I have never been one to tell him things to do and things not to do. “I just let him decide his own path in football. That’s the way to do it, in my eyes. “We are all just so proud of him. The whole family can’t believe what he has already achieved at his age. To have won a trophy with Celtic is amazing at any age, but at 19 it is just incredible.” Looking to the future, he believes Owen can play at any level if he continues to work as hard as he has been doing. “The sky is the limit for him,” he said. “He has the right work ethic to go far in the game. “There are so many young players out there with similar abilities, so people are on the hunt for players with personality and real enthusiasm. Owen has that.”