Naomi Donnan is hoping she can play a key role to help Sion Swifts win a first Women's Challenge Cup since 2017.
The Strabane-based club take on cup kingpins Glentoran in the showpiece final at Windsor Park on Saturday evening (5.30pm).
Donnan may only be 21 but she has a wealth of experience in the women's game after several successful seasons with Linfield.
Read next: Crusaders and the Irish League will always be special for Stuart Dallas
She is hoping that big-game experience will prove vital as Sion bid to add the Challenge Cup to the League Cup they won back in June.
"It's a bit mad when you're only 21 and people are looking at you as one of the more experienced players," said Donnan.
"I have been involved in the Challenge Cup final before, but unfortunately I didn't get selected to get on the pitch.
"We do have a very young squad at Sion, so hopefully given my experience of the build up to finals I can be one of the older heads and help calm the nerves, and reassure them that this is a big opportunity which we just have to take.
"We learnt a lot from the League Cup final.
"We've got the experience of having played in that final and winning it.
"Obviously this Cup is a bit bigger and there will be a bigger crowd at it as well.
"That obviously adds to it, I don't want to say it brings pressure because we will have more support on the back of that too, and I see that as a good thing which will spur us on."
Sion's young squad have struggled for consistency in the league by Donnan's own admission, but things will be very different in this one-off occasion.
Ryan Mullan has been working hard with the squad and they will be well-prepared for the task in hand, says the defender.
"It's a big occasion, so to go on and win it would be a great credit to the young team we have and a big step forward," says Donnan.
"Some might underestimate us as our league form has been great at times this year.
"We were disappointed with the results against the teams around us.
"We finished in the bottom half of the table, which isn't where we wanted to be, but I think it is down to having a young team and not having that consistency because you're constantly learning and developing.
"The cup is a one-off game though and you can prepare in the right way, which we have been doing.
"Our coach Ryan has been working with us on getting the tactics and set-up right.
"If we get that right there's no reason why we can't go and get a result."
Saturday evening's game is something of a home game for Donnan.
Hailing from North Down she has to travel to Strabane to play at the Swifts home ground.
But despite the long trek Donnan said she feels right at home at the club following her move at the start of the season.
"Playing at Windsor is definitely more of a home game than Strabane is for me," she laughed.
"It's a long way to travel from the Ards peninsula.
"But it's a very homely place, it's a real community club and is supported by everyone.
"I think we'll bring a lot of fans with us to Windsor and I have a lot of friends and family coming along too, it's a lot easier for them to get to Windsor than Sion.
"It's probably going to be the highlight of the season no matter what way it goes.
"It's a really big occasion and I think we're just really looking forward to it more than anything."
READ NEXT:
Cliftonville kept calm to seal cup progress reveals Paddy McLaughlin
Watch: Carl Frampton accepts David Healy nomination for Linfield challenge
Eoin Bradley has weekend to remember as he leads Glenullin and Glenavon to glory
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
