CUP FINAL PREVIEW

It’s the final of the First Division Cup tomorrow and here are interviews with the two managers ahead of the game which is being held at the ground of the league champions – North Shields.

Kick-off at the Daren Persson Stadium is 11am.

The two sides have already met four times this season – both winning two apiece.

Ashington manager Ian Skinner believes Monday’s contest will be all about who turns up on the day.

“I’ve said it before that the semi final is an awful place to lose – but the final is not a great place to be for losers either, so we will be going to win and will prepare the same as we do for every other game.

“Cup finals are very much about who turns up on the day but the one thing I can guarantee – and obviously I watched the other semi final between Sunderland Ryhope CW and Newcastle Benfield – is that we’ll have a game plan.”

He continued: “We’ve played Benfield four times already and I can’t recall a season where we have met the same opponents five times. It’s 2-2 – they have the upper hand in cup competitions knocking us out of the Emirates FA Cup and Buildbase FA Vase whilst we beat them both home and away in the league.

”However those previous meetings will have zero bearing on Monday’s encounter – they will count for nothing at all because it will be a different game. People may think it’s no big deal – but players are used to playing at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon so kicking off at 11am, the whole routine changes because we will be meeting at 9.30am so that will have to be factored into preparations.

“It’s two teams who know each other almost inside out. We know Benfield have one or two threats and we’ll have to be aware of them but the plan will be very much about us and if we go and play to the levels which we are capable of, and reproduce some of the football which have done during the season then we’ll stand a very good chance of winning. Will it be easy? No – it’ll be a difficult competitive game.”

He went on: “To reach a cup final is not a straight forward feat so I want the players to enjoy it and to embrace it – but they’ll enjoy it a whole lot more if we are successful and come home with the trophy to show everybody.”

Benfield coach Colin Stromsoy said:

“We’ve been able to train for the first time in a couple of weeks, as we’ve had such a nightmare with injuries and not wanting to risk more injuries.  While we still have some players out, at least we have some lads back.

“Ultimately it’s going to be about who turns in a performance.  My job, along with the other coaches, is to make sure we have the lads ready for the final.”

He said the toughest test in the competition so far was their tie against his old team Newton Aycliffe, winning after a penalty shoot-out.  “We had 13 players available on the night, including a substitute goalkeeper and we didn’t expect to get through that game.

“The Ryhope semi-final was our best performance without a doubt.  We had good energy levels, were well organised and we fully deserved the victory.  The aim is to repeat that standard of performance against Ashington who are a very good team, with some very good attacking players.”

He said it had been a big challenge to come in during the season.  “There are no rights or wrongs but everyone has their own way of working; you’ve got to adapt to the squad and be pragmatic.  But one thing we have done is overall reduce the number of goals that we’ve conceded.”

And he’s expecting his seasoned, experienced players to play a key part.  “In a final you rely on experienced players to come through and help the younger players through the ebbs and flows of the game.  The younger players won’t have been in a situation like this and the experienced players need to make sure the younger ones approach the game in the right manner and are now over-awed by the occasion.”

Admission is £5 and £3 for concessions.

(Thanks to Brian Bennett at Ashington for the Ian Skinner interview.)