Rebels ready for double celebration

Source: M.E.N.

Stuart Brennan
18/ 4/2007

FC UNITED are closing in on the double - and that could lead to a big Red celebration at the end of this season, says manager Karl Marginson.

Lifelong United fan Marginson wants to see the treble back at Old Trafford, with his own team collecting two trophies.

They can claim the first tonight when a victory over Atherton LR at Gigg Lane would secure the North West Counties League title.

"It would be brilliant if United can win the lot, and then we can do a double - actually you could say it's a quadruple, because our reserves have already just won their league and are in their own cup final, in their first season," says Marginson.

Delighted

The Rebels have surged to the brink of a double with an unbeaten run stretching back 21 matches to December 9 and now need three points and a victory over biggest league rivals Curzon Ashton in the League Challenge Cup final on May 3 to clinch it.

"I am delighted with what we have achieved so far, even though we had a bit of a sickener in going out of the FA Vase early," said Marginson.

"Now we need to finish the job, and then keep going strongly until the end of the season. The good thing is that the cup final is the last game, so it is a perfect way of ensuring everyone stays on their toes.

"The reserve team has done really well under Tony Cullen and Loz Greenhalgh, who faced the same problems we had last season in that they were starting from scratch.

"If we can win the title tomorrow night, one or two of those reserves will get their chance between now and the end of the season, because they deserve it, and we want to see how they handle playing in front of a big crowd."

FC have no injury problems going into tonight's game, and Marginson is backing top scorer Stuart Rudd to achieve his aim of netting 50 times in a season.

Rudd has 43 goals with five games left, and Marginson says he would not bet against the big Wiganer.

"Stuart has not been in the best of form in recent weeks, but he still keeps scoring the odd one or two and will be looking to finish the season on a high," said Marginson.