Cup winners FC focus on promotion

24/ 4/2008

FC UNITED manager Karl Marginson hopes that his side’s President’s Cup triumph will spur them on to clinch promotion to the UniBond Premier Division.

The reds beat Radcliffe Borough 2-0 at the Tameside Arena on Thursday night to claim their first silverware of the season.

They currently sit in a play-off place though their chances of winning the UniBond League First Division North title went up in smoke when they could only draw 1-1 with Woodley Sports on Wednesday night.

Marginson has overseen a remarkable return to form for his team after they spluttered during an horrific fixture pile-up that saw them play nine games in 19 days.

That sparked many people to write FC off. But they have since gone on a winning streak which included the cup final victory over Borough.

Chris Baguley and Stuart Rudd claimed the goals against Radcliffe.

Margy said: "We’ve had a really tough schedule but the lads have battled through it and it culminated with that cup final win. We beat Radcliffe a couple of days before with a relative reserve side, so we were confident. But the team still had to go out and do the business.

"It was a typical cup final in that it was very frantic. But we managed to string together some really nice football and play it out from the back.

"The opening goal summed it up. There were a few groans as the centre halves knocked it about between them but five passes later it was in the net as Stuart Rudd put over a Premiership-standard cross for Chris Baguley to head home.

"The celebrations and the performance really gave us a boost in confidence leading up to the following game and now it could be the kick we need to claim promotion. We’ve already seen the reaction of the players in the following game at Newcastle."

United went to seventh-placed Newcastle Blue Star for a league game on Saturday and enjoyed a 4-0 romp with goals from Rory Patterson, Jerome Wright, Dave Chadwick and Nick Robinson.

FC play at mid-table Garforth Town this Saturday, April 26, kick-off 3pm.