Stafford Town hoping to avoid an unwanted treble

They face Premier Division side Charnock Richard in the North West Counties League Cup final on Monday (3pm), having already suffered in the Edward Case Cup and play-off finals.

Stafford failed to get promotion through the play-offs after losing on penalties to Abbey Hulton United. Wall said the result ‘proper stings’, but he ‘won’t have to say an awful lot on Monday before the game’.

He added: “We’re a bit devastated at the moment and still a little bit sore, but look, it’ll fuel us to hopefully go again next year.

“There's a lot of a devastation, a lot of heartache in the camp at the moment. I think the overwhelming thing I'm getting from the lads – which is exactly where I am with it – is we cannot come out of Monday empty-handed.

“We've had such a good season. To go into three finals the way we have and to come out empty-handed, it would be criminal really.

“So, I think the lads are proper, proper up for this. I won’t have to say an awful lot on Monday before the game.

“I think they know they've had the hurt of two finals I think the first final, we played well for an hour but probably didn't do ourselves justice for the total 90 against Atherton and they deserved to win.

“I think Saturday was one of those games where, to lose on penalties after 36 games in the league and lose your chance of promotion, proper stings.

“And hopefully that feeds our lads on Monday.”

On his opponents, he added: “I think they see this as their way of rescuing what they see as a poor season by their standards so I think this will be a tough game.

“I think both teams are coming into this like losing this opportunity to win a cup is not an option to either teams,

“But ultimately, somebody's going to go home empty handed so I think this this could be a very, very tough afternoon for both teams. 


“Towards the end of the season we have opened up a little bit for whatever reason and I'm not particularly enthralled by that as a manager, obviously,

“But if you actually look at our record during the season, we had the second-best defence in the league with the second-best attack in the league and realistically we should be able to keep a tight ship, but that hasn't been the case in the last few games.

“So, I suppose, at this point who knows what'll happen.”

The JW Hunt Cup semi-finals follow Stafford’s final, as Division One rivals Cradley Town and AFC Bridgnorth face off, before Premier Division sides Dudley Town and Brocton compete.

Cradley play on Tuesday (7.30pm), while Dudley and Brocton feature on Wednesday (7.30pm).