Yellow Cup Fever building up for the final
Mon 3rd April 2017 | County Cup Competitions | By Ian Templeman
Ashton Athletic are gearing up for one of the biggest nights in the club's history, as they prepare to face Radcliffe Borough in the final of the Partners Foundation Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy in Tuesday night.
The game at Bolton Wanderers' Macron Stadium promises to be a close fought affair, with only 15 league places separating the sides in the National League system - Radcliffe Borough being 18th in the Evo-Stik League Division One North and the Yellows sitting in 11th place in our Premier Division.
For Athletic, the run to the final began with a 1-0 win at Charnock Richard, followed by a 3-0 home win over Atherton LR in the quarter final, and then on a memorable night at the County Ground in Leyland, they beat Chorley of the Vanarama National League North on penalties after the sides were tied at 1-1 after a tense semi-final.
Evo-Stik Division One North side Radcliffe Borough overcome both Lancaster City and Clitheroe, two sides at the opposite end of the league, along the way, and their quarter-final match at home to West Didsbury & Chorlton came just days after a fire at Taurus Park destroyed much of their main stand.
But the club were determined to play the fixture and it worked out for them in the end, as they won on penalties to progress.
It's a big night for both clubs as neither have won this competition before, and Athletic's management trio of Jay Foulds, Ben Kay and Dougie Pitts are confident that their side can step up to the mark on the night.
Jay Foulds: “Obviously it will be a very proud night for everyone involved at the club and certainly the three of us too. This is why you start out in football, either as a player or a manager, to be involved in finals and to try and win trophies.
"We’ve been lucky during our four years in charge as this will actually be our fourth final! Some of the lads are still with us who won the League Cup during what was our first year in-charge and we have previously won the Wigan Cup too.
"We have always said we have a squad capable of an upset and I think that was shown during the semi-final win against Chorley, albeit on penalties. I am sure the lads will be up-for-it and hopefully we can get the result we want.”
Ben Kay: “We are under no illusions that we are going to be able to turn up on Tuesday night and play to our usual standard. That simply won’t be enough as Radcliffe are a very good side and obviously ply their trade in a division higher than ours.
"We have done our homework and know where their strengths and weaknesses are and hopefully we can exploit them. They are a very good side who like to get the ball wide and play football. It will be very similar to the Chorley game, in terms of us being massive underdogs, but you never know what can happen if luck is on our side.
"It will be a fantastic experience for our lads and they deserve the chance to showcase their talents on such a fantastic pitch and wonderful stadium, even if I am a Wigan Athletic supporter!”
Dougie Pitts: “We couldn’t be happier for the lads. We have been hard on them this season as we feel at times they haven’t performed as consistently as we would have liked, but they are a great bunch and their hard-work deserves to be rewarded.
"As with all non-league clubs there are many unsung heroes that work hard behind the scenes and it will be good for them to sample some ‘Football League’ hospitality - not that there is anything wrong with the hospitality in the NWCFL!
"Radcliffe are a good side and we know their manager Joe Gibbons from his days at AFC Liverpool. He is a good manager, and we are sure he will have his lads ready. It will be a fantastic occasion and hopefully we can catch them on an off day and sneak it!”
The game kicks off at 7.45 pm, with plenty of parking available at the stadium.
Admission prices are Adults £8, and with every paying adult, a child (aged 15 and under) goes free (one child per adult). Additional children/concessions (OAPs/students) will be £4
Tickets will be available to buy on the night, but to purchase tickets in advance, visit the Lancashire FA website by clicking here.
Yellow Cup Fever building up for the final
Mon 3rd April 2017 | County Cup Competitions
By Ian Templeman
Ashton Athletic are gearing up for one of the biggest nights in the club's history, as they prepare to face Radcliffe Borough in the final of the Partners Foundation Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy in Tuesday night.
The game at Bolton Wanderers' Macron Stadium promises to be a close fought affair, with only 15 league places separating the sides in the National League system - Radcliffe Borough being 18th in the Evo-Stik League Division One North and the Yellows sitting in 11th place in our Premier Division.
For Athletic, the run to the final began with a 1-0 win at Charnock Richard, followed by a 3-0 home win over Atherton LR in the quarter final, and then on a memorable night at the County Ground in Leyland, they beat Chorley of the Vanarama National League North on penalties after the sides were tied at 1-1 after a tense semi-final.
Evo-Stik Division One North side Radcliffe Borough overcome both Lancaster City and Clitheroe, two sides at the opposite end of the league, along the way, and their quarter-final match at home to West Didsbury & Chorlton came just days after a fire at Taurus Park destroyed much of their main stand.
But the club were determined to play the fixture and it worked out for them in the end, as they won on penalties to progress.
It's a big night for both clubs as neither have won this competition before, and Athletic's management trio of Jay Foulds, Ben Kay and Dougie Pitts are confident that their side can step up to the mark on the night.
Jay Foulds: “Obviously it will be a very proud night for everyone involved at the club and certainly the three of us too. This is why you start out in football, either as a player or a manager, to be involved in finals and to try and win trophies.
"We’ve been lucky during our four years in charge as this will actually be our fourth final! Some of the lads are still with us who won the League Cup during what was our first year in-charge and we have previously won the Wigan Cup too.
"We have always said we have a squad capable of an upset and I think that was shown during the semi-final win against Chorley, albeit on penalties. I am sure the lads will be up-for-it and hopefully we can get the result we want.”
Ben Kay: “We are under no illusions that we are going to be able to turn up on Tuesday night and play to our usual standard. That simply won’t be enough as Radcliffe are a very good side and obviously ply their trade in a division higher than ours.
"We have done our homework and know where their strengths and weaknesses are and hopefully we can exploit them. They are a very good side who like to get the ball wide and play football. It will be very similar to the Chorley game, in terms of us being massive underdogs, but you never know what can happen if luck is on our side.
"It will be a fantastic experience for our lads and they deserve the chance to showcase their talents on such a fantastic pitch and wonderful stadium, even if I am a Wigan Athletic supporter!”
Dougie Pitts: “We couldn’t be happier for the lads. We have been hard on them this season as we feel at times they haven’t performed as consistently as we would have liked, but they are a great bunch and their hard-work deserves to be rewarded.
"As with all non-league clubs there are many unsung heroes that work hard behind the scenes and it will be good for them to sample some ‘Football League’ hospitality - not that there is anything wrong with the hospitality in the NWCFL!
"Radcliffe are a good side and we know their manager Joe Gibbons from his days at AFC Liverpool. He is a good manager, and we are sure he will have his lads ready. It will be a fantastic occasion and hopefully we can catch them on an off day and sneak it!”
The game kicks off at 7.45 pm, with plenty of parking available at the stadium.
Admission prices are Adults £8, and with every paying adult, a child (aged 15 and under) goes free (one child per adult). Additional children/concessions (OAPs/students) will be £4
Tickets will be available to buy on the night, but to purchase tickets in advance, visit the Lancashire FA website by clicking here.
