FA Trophy
Stocksbridge Park Steels manager Chris Hilton
Even without star striker Joe Lumsden, Stocksbridge Park Steels manager Chris Hilton is hopeful that his team can pull off a major shock tonight.
The Steels are heading to National League side Stalybridge Celtic for the third qualifying round replay, ten days after the teams drew 2-2 at Bracken Moor.
“We’ll up our game and we’ll have a plan again to try and win the game,” Hilton told Non League Yorkshire.
“We’re going there believing we can win. Everyone is excited because the Trophy is good for publicity and the financial rewards.
“Stalybridge have obviously seen us play now and I don’t think they will be looking forward to playing us again.
“If they stand off and let us play then we’ll cause them problems. It is a big blow not having Joe, he’s our top goal-scorer.
“We are limited in options upfront as Brodie Litchfield is cup-tied and we can’t bring anyone in, but we’ll get around it.”
Lumsden was controversially sent off ten minutes into the original clash with Stalybridge after making a challenge that the referee deemed dangerous.
“We probably didn’t deserve to win it, but to say we had ten men for 80 minutes it would have been nice to have 11 men at them for 90 minutes,” Hilton said of the first tie.
“I think we may have possibly won the game with 11 men. We definitely deserved a draw.”
Away from their memorable Trophy run, Stocksbridge’s league form has stuttered in the last few weeks – especially in home games.
“It is not going our way at home, we’re alright away from home,” Hilton added.
“For some reason we seem to be doing okay football-wise at home, but we get punished for mistakes or decisions.
“But we have to keep going and keep believing in the way we want the players to play.
“Everyone is frustrated.”
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