A SICKENED Greenock football team were left empty handed at a cup final - when their dressing room was raided only minutes before kick off.

Stunned Greenock High Amateurs under 21 players returned from a warm up ahead of the Only Sport Cup Final to discover they had been victims of a large scale theft.

The stunned players returned from pitchside to find they'd had £5,000 worth of smart phones, cash and jewellery stolen from their changing room.

The shocked team, who play in the West of Scotland league, were then forced to take to the field and play the match. Still reeling from the news, they then found themselves 4-0 down in the first five minutes.

Raging manager Colin McEachnie, who also had his phone stolen, said: "We were just absolutely gutted. You just never expect something like this to take place.

"We were all up for the cup final. It has been a great season after winning promotion and we are going for the league title as well, then this happens.

"You just feel sickened. The club will make sure the boys get the money back for their phones.

"All of them are under 21 so they are mostly working for the minimum wage. They can't afford to replace these things.

"We were forced by the league to play the game anyway. But we were in no frame of mind for it."

The amateur club had went on a great run to win a place in the final to play Gartcairn in the final, held at Benburb Juniors ground in Govan.

Colin added: "We went out for a warm up and minutes before the game was due to start we came back in to discuss a few things. One of the boys then went into his pocket and realised his phone was away.

"There were eight phones in total stolen, £1500 in cash and some of the players' watches."

But Greenock HSFP hope to put their cup final misery behind them and finish on a high by winning the title.

They are due to play Gartcairn again at Battery Park next weekend to clinch top spot.

Colin added: "We have a great team of players here and we will get on with it."