Ash Flynn is one goal away from 100 for Yorkshire Amateur and Neil Sibson says the striker has been incredible for the Leeds-based side over the past two-and-half-years.
Toolstation NCEL great Flynn, who once scored 74 goals for Emley during the 2015/16 season, remains on 99 goals after missing a penalty in the FA Vase victory at Seaham Red Star.
Flynn has been the centre-piece of the club’s ever-expanding success story which began when Southerns became major sponsors in 2017 to wake a sleeping giant.
Flynn has the chance to reach the landmark when the Ammers face Golcar United in the West Riding County Cup on Tuesday night – a match switched to Bracken Edge as Golcar’s pitch is unplayable.
“He has been a massive part of our success over last two years,” Sibson told Non League Yorkshire.
“He got loads of goals in his first two seasons and he’s got off to a good start this year.
“He’s been phenomenal and I think he’s under a lot of pressure to score a lot of goals. He’s probably been a victim of his own success. People expect him to score goals.
“So there is pressure on his shoulders, but he always seems to deliver.
“Last season he was our only good source of goals. This season we have tried recruit people who can score goals to take that pressure off him, but he’s still doing the business.
“We’re routing for him to get the goals on Tuesday. There’s no doubt about it that it will come shortly.”
Sibson and assistant Craig Ogilvie took the Ammers up to Seaham and the first round tie proved to be a tricky obstacle as the hosts led until the last 20 minutes.
It took goals from Harrison Blakey, Steve Crawford and the returning Aiden Savory, back from injury, to push them to victory.
“Seaham were a big physical side and the front three for them, I’ve never seen strikers as big, they were huge,” he said.
“They caused us a lot of problems in the first half. We had the sun and the wind in our eyes and they were playing the long ball.
“We managed to keep it at 1-0 and we dealt with it in the second half. We felt they couldn’t keep up the sustained pressure on us.
“Once the shackles came off, we were off. We had four players missing so we had to shuffle things around. We had a midfielder playing right back, right back playing centre-back.
“So it was great to get through by using our strength in depth.”
The victory means the Ammers have travelled the furthest in the competition since the 2004/05 season
The draw for the second round is on Monday and Sibson has one wish.
“We’re hoping for a home draw as it is the third time we have been up to the North East this year,” he said.
“Fingers crossed we get a home draw.
“We’ve got through three rounds now and we’re going to crack on with it.
“The fact we have got through three rounds shows how far we have come as a club.”