Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
10MATCH TOWN TIE WILL BE A BOXING DAY BOUT..
Valley boss Forsythe up for Banbridge clash as he eyes another Radcliffe final
VALLEY RANGERS’ love affair with the Bob Radcliffe Cup shows no signs of fading.
And boss Richard Forsythe wants his players to keep it in their hearts all the way to another Christmas cracker.
The Gers reached last season’s final before losing to Hanover in the Boxing Day showpiece.
And they’re back in the quarters after thrashing Lurgan
Town 5-1 at the weekend.
The going gets tough next with a trip to Banbridge Town in the offing on
October 27.
But having proven their mettle over a number of years now,
Valley will carry a quiet confidence with them to Crystal Park.
Forsythe (below) told Match On Tuesday: “We acknowledge that away to Banbridge is probably not the draw we would have wanted.
“But we took Newington to extra-time in the Irish Cup a couple of weeks ago and played very well that day. “That performance gives us the confidence to go to Banbridge and not be afraid. “We’ve never played them but Crystal Park is a venue we have a great affinity for be- cause it’s where we won the Marshall Cup and also the Premier Cup.
“It holds good memories so we’ll be looking forward to going back.
“We’ve had a good bit of experience of playing higher-ranked teams now and the gap is closing with every one of those matches.
“The Bob Radcliffe is a competition that we’ve a real affection for now too.
“We tasted the experience of a Boxing Day final last year with a very big crowd and I think that was when the players saw the significance of the competition.
“That has awakened something in the players and they have the hunger to get back to another final like that although we know it’s going to be very difficult.
“Yes, we’ll be underdogs because they’re going very well but we want to be as competitive as we possibly can be.”
League-wise, it’s been an in-out, up-down start to the Intermediate A campaign for Valley.
After opening with a 4-1 win away at St Mary’s they slumped to a 7-1 battering at the hands of Windmill Stars in the following game.
Since then, they’ve beaten Tandragee Rovers twice in cup competitions, lost narrowly at home to Moneyslane in the league and then thrashed St Mary’s 8-2 last time out.
Their Irish Cup run was ended by a very strong Newington side two Saturdays back but Forsythe has been pleased with the performances his side have put in.
Valley and Lurgan Town locked horns in last season’s Radcliffe quarter-finals with Forysthe’s side winning by the odd goal in three.
But it was a much more straightforward progression at the Lurgan Town Arena on Saturday as Valley went to work.
Andy Graham shot the visitors into a 14th minute lead with Town striking straight back before Lee Newell restored the Rangers advantage.
Stevie Patterson made it three at the break and added a late fifth either side of Mcmurray’s cool finish. Forysthe added: “It was definitely a potential banana skin so I was pleased with the manner of our performance.
“Lurgan Town had won all of their games in September and were coming off the back of a good win in the Irish Cup.
“We knew we had to go there and play well and thankfully we did that and put in a good performance.
“After the way we played against Newington in the
Irish Cup, I didn’t want the lads thinking it was just a case of turning up and they would win.
“They showed a good attitude to the game and put in a strong performance.”