Maryport Athletic face the biggest game in their club’s relatively short history when they face holders Workington Reds tonight in a major semi-final.
Athletic, a club with ambitions to progress up the football ladder, visit Borough Park for the right to play in the final of the Fred Conway County Cup final in a fortnight.
Only formed in 2013, Maryport Athletic are a thriving club with over 250 youngsters playing in their progressive age-group sides through to Under-18s.
Assistant manager is Justin Booty, a 47-yearold former professional with his home-town club Colchester United. He only played one senior game for the Us but then scored 34 goals in 88 games for current Eastern Counties League side Wivenhoe Town.
Justin said: “This is a really big game for the club and everyone is looking forward to it. We have played Reds before at an earlier stage of the competition on a previous occasion and lost 5-0.
“We’ve also played and lost to Carlisle City in recent times so we have come up against two of the senior sides in the county.
“As a club we want to progress as far as we can. Manager Karl Skillen has done a great job since started the club back in 2013 and the way the club has developed has been fantastic.
“One of the next targets is to have a reserve team and with a successful Under-18s side coming through we hope they will form the bulk of it next season.
“We realise Danny Grainger will want to finish on a high as Reds manager and with the final against Carlisle United at Borough Park he will be keen to win tonight so we expect to face a strong side.
“At the moment, though, we are top of the County League with just one game left. We are five points ahead of Aspatria who have two games left so if we win our final match they can’t catch us.
“Last season we finished in a three-way tie for the championship but lost out to Wigton Harriers on goal difference.”
Maryport Athletic play at Milltoft, the traditional home of Maryport sides for over 70 years, which they currently lease and would like to develop.
Grainger is expected to name a strong side for tonight’s clash (kick-off 7.45pm) but might include a couple of his Development side who came through the Maryport Athletic age groups.
Reds are at home to Marine on Saturday, against a team who are pushing to cement their place in the NPL Premier Division play-offs.
