One last hurdle stands between Handsworth Reserves and the S&HCSL League Cup Final and head of youth Chris Short admits the club’s youngsters are standing on the edge of a remarkable accomplishment.
Olivers Mount is set to host the semi-final between Handsworth and Matt Griffin’s Ecclesfield Red Rose 1915 tomorrow which will decide who will face Swinton Athletic or Dodworth Miners Welfare or North Gawber in the Final.
Handsworth have been the competition’s ultimate dark horses and Short says it is hard to put into words what reaching the final would mean to the club and players.
“Indescribable,” Short told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is something we would always aim for because we want to be the best we can be at anything we do.
“But if we were to get to the final, it would be a massive achievement.
“I’m already proud and we’re proud as a club about what they have achieved so far in this competition, but if we got to the final it would be amazing and be a great day out for them.
“When the draw came out and you look who you are pitted against you think ‘let’s put a good performance in during the group stage and see how far we go’.
“We’re now sat here talking about the semi-final. It is the biggest game (for the reserves) for a very long time.
“There’s not a bigger game that we can recall over quite a number of years.
“It is a massive game for us and it is one we know we need to be up for.”
Handsworth’s reserve squad is full of young talent – all who have huge potential at making it in the Non League game.
The League Cup campaign, which has seen Handsworth only face higher league opponents, has proved just how successful the club have been at developing them.
“Our average age is about 19 and some of them have played with the reserves for a good two-and-half years and they have grown and learnt a lot about themselves,” he said.
“You can see that they are turning into men now because they have developed in a way that we’re all about.
“We’ve given them bits of information, allowed them to express themselves and put them in challenging situations.
“It is not easy getting chucked in the rough end of the County Senior League when you’re 16 or 17-year-old, but we’re reaping the rewards of doing that.”
Defeating Red Rose is the biggest test so far, especially given Ecclesfield’s magnificent win at Wombwell Main in the quarter-finals.
Red Rose went hell for leather at Wombwell and were 3-0 up after an hour and manager Griffin has promised to bring a heavily armoured battalion to Handsworth to attempt a repeat performance.
But will Handsworth change their usual approach?
“No is the basic answer to that,” Short said.
“We have got our game-plan and we know how to be at our best.
“If we change to suit the opposition it’ll be to the opposition’s advantage and not ours so we won’t be looking to change anything we do.
“If we end up having another conversation in two weeks’ time I’ll be saying the same thing again.
“We have to do our jobs and do what we’re good at.”