Shaw Lane Aquaforce face their toughest test yet in the FA Vase, according to Craig Elliott
Craig Elliott has urged his Shaw Lane Aquaforce side to concentrate on their own performances and not worry about dangers of the unknown opposition in the FA Vase fifth round tomorrow.
Shaw Lane’s extraordinary Vase run continues with the visit of Hellenic League Premier Division promotion-chasers Flackwell Heath to Barnsley.
Aquaforce are potentially four games away from Wembley after beating Vase giants West Auckland and Shildon along the way.
Shaw Lane, now unbeaten in 12, meet a Flackwell side that are third in their league and have gone even better than Elliott’s men with a 22-match run.
Elliott told Non League Yorkshire: “It is our hardest test yet for a number of reasons.
“They have only been beaten once in the league and haven’t lost since October and we don’t know too much about them.
“Their game was off on Saturday so we haven’t been able to watch them.
“But I think now that it is the last 16 it is about which team turns up on the day and plays to their potential.
“We have to play our natural game and that’s the message for tomorrow – lets do what we have been doing all season.”
Alongside the hunt for FA Vase glory, the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division title remains a huge target for Aquaforce.
Lane are ten points behind leaders Tadcaster with four games in hand after the narrow 1-0 win at Staveley Miners Welfare on Wednesday night.
Andrew Fox’s early goal gave them the win in a game that also saw them reduced to ten men when Sam Denton was sent off late-on.
Elliott also made one forced and five unforced changes for the match with an eye on the visit of High Wycombe-based Flackwell.
Luke O’Brien was suspended and returns tomorrow, but Stefan Holt, Lee Morris, Steve Istead, Shane Kelsey and Matt Thornhill were rested.
“It was a great win which we had to grind out. It is a difficult place to go as they are capable of taking points off teams,” said Elliott, who also gave James Cotterill his Shaw Lane debut.
“I took a gamble by resting a number of players, but I had confidence in my squad. When you consider that I made six changes, that another reason why I was really happy with the result.”
Shaw Lane are hopeful the game will go ahead as work on the troubled pitch has been going on all week – a decision is likely later today.
A Rugby Union match played there at the end of November in standing water has left the club in a difficult position and created a backlog of fixtures – which does concern Elliott.
“It is a slight worry, but these things are taken out of players and manager’s hands,” he said.
“I would like to have played a few more games, but it is something I can’t influence.
“We’re still right up there with three or four other teams and any one of those can win it. There’s a lot to play for.”