FALMOUTH TOWN will be hoping to see in the New Year by booking a place in the last eight of the Cornwall Senior Cup on Saturday (2pm).

Last year's semi-finalists entertain lower league Penzance and given their splendid form in SWPL Premier, they will be hot favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.

Boss Andrew Westgarth said: "We were unbeaten through December and while it'd have been nice to keep the momentum going, we've kept on training so we'll be ready for it."

Falmouth have won their last six games and are unbeaten in eight, while Penzance's only outing in the last six weeks saw them lose 2-0 to local rivals Mousehole on Boxing Day.

For Town, Jordan Annear is three goals short of his 50th club goal, while Ryan Barnes who just two games away from making 100 appearances.

The hosts will be without injured pair Dave Broglino and Ollie Moody, while striker Rob Wearne is cup tied.

The game has added poignancy as both clubs were managed by Trevor Mewton, whose funeral took place on Friday after he lost his battle with cancer just before Christmas.

Although the clubs have met annually in the pre-season Dave Gardner tournament, it will be the first competitive match for five seasons, when the Magpies beat Town 4-3 after extra time in the Throgmorton Cup at Penlee Park.

Playing for Falmouth on that Friday evening in 2012 were Wayne Quinn and Mark Vercesi, who now form Penzance's formidable management team.

Quinn, the former Newcastle defender, made 17 appearances and scored three goals for Falmouth in 2012, while Vercesi scored an incredible 63 goals in just 96 appearances between 2010-12.

Two of Cornwall's most decorated teams first met in the Senior Cup at Union Corner in 1950,when Falmouth won 6-4. Scorers for Town that day were Bobby Bilsland (3), Craig McDowell (2) and Alec Phillips.

In almost 150 competitive matches between the clubs, Saturday's tie will be the 17th Cornwall Senior Cup encounter, the last being in 2007-08 when Falmouth won 2-0 at Penlee Park thanks to an Andy Bowker goal and an own goal from James Greet.

To reach this stage Penzance have enjoyed victories at Roche (7-0) and at Division 1 West counterparts Illogan RBL (5-2).

Falmouth had a first round bye and then beat Combination League strugglers Hayle 8-0.