Stafford Town boss expecting a closely-fought play-off final
Manager Adam Wall reckons ‘there’s not a fat lot’ between his underdog Stafford Town side and play-off final opponents Abbey Hulton United, writes Dan Hickey.
Abbey climbed to second in the division at the tail end of the season, displacing Stafford from the top two after a five-game winning streak closed out their season.
Results between the sides both ended 1-0 during the season, and the close nature of the fixture means it could come down to who sets up correctly on the day, with Wall saying it’s about which side ‘gets it tactically right’.
He said: “We've always been that team – until this year where we've tasted the other side of it, where we were on good runs and we were top – we've always been the team that's sort of like, ‘it's only little old Stafford Town’ sort of situation.
“But they're a good side. I know a lot about Abbey. Obviously, we played them twice in the league, played them recently and they beat us at our place 1-0. We beat them at their place, 1-0.
“There isn’t a fat lot between the sides. They've got a really, really good side that they've built since Christmas, and I fear if they'd have had it all season, they probably would have been there or thereabouts winning the league.
“But to be honest, in a one-off game, there isn't a fat lot between us. We're both very, very good in the top end of the pitch.
“We're both very lively. We both probably concede daft goals that the managers aren’t happy with.
“It's going to be, on the day, who gets it tactically right and who turns up, and we've got enough rest now not to moan about the amount of games we've played.
“We've got two left, both finals, and I can't really moan about the amount of rest we've got with them. I fancy us to go there and get a result, but it won't be easy at all.”
Town beat Sandbach United in the semi-final on Saturday, before losing out Atherton LR in the Edward Case Cup on Monday. After the all-important fixture on Saturday, they still have another chance to bag silverware in the Macron Cup final on May 5.
Cradley Town are also in play-off action, as they travel to Leicester St Andrews for a Midland League Division One play-off semi-final, before facing champions Nuneaton Town in the Birmingham FA Midweek Floodlit Challenge Cup final on Wednesday (7.45pm).
