TOWN’S TROPHY FINAL IS ALL SET FOR MAY
HARROGATE Town manager Simon Weaver says finishing the 2019-20 FA Trophy has remained a priority in their season with a Wembley date now confirmed.
Town won promotion from the National League in August under the arch, but had been due a return in the final of NonLeague’s prestigious cup competition. However, that has been delayed by Covid restrictions.
This week the FA announced Town’s showdown with National League South side Concord Rangers will be played on Monday, May 3, which came as a relief to both clubs.
“We entered into a competition and did well enough to end up in a final so it’s a massive game for us a club,” Weaver told The FLP.
“We don’t look at it that just because we’re out of Non-League, it’s not a big deal. We played with a lot of passion in it and want to win it, and Concord
will feel the same. We’ve been there last season and have been determined to have the game played.
“A lot is at stake, it’s a big competition for any club to enter and to win. We’ve 100 per cent been asking when the final is every month. We’ve been looking forward to a date being set.”
However, it will be played behind closed doors just weeks before fans are planned to return to matches.
“It is disappointing finding out fans won’t be with us,” Weaver said. “It’s not the same experience without the fans being there. They missed out in the play-off final and we never thought they would miss out again.
“It’s so close to a date when fans could come in, it’s a blow. We’ve got some elderly fans who would have dearly loved to have been travelling down to Wembley.”
TEDEN Mengi is relishing the pressure of points being at stake as he continues to impress on loan at Derby County.
The 18-year-old centre-back, who made the switch from Manchester United on deadline day, had made four appearances for the Rams under Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney ahead of yesterday’s clash with Millwall.
“I’m really enjoying it,” he said. “The lads have been great to me and very welcoming. They have helped me a lot and I think it has reflected on the pitch in my performances.
“It has been good to play in the Championship, but it has been tough. It is a completely different game to what I am used to. It is a lot more physical and you are playing for something.
“It is a real test and you have to stay locked in for the full 90 minutes. You cannot switch off because if you do it can be the difference for your team in conceding a goal, especially in my position. It has been good to be involved in the team.”
Mengi made his United debut as an 84th-minute sub in a Europa League clash against LASK Linz last term, but was limited to three Papa John’s Trophy games for the club’s under-21s in the first half of this campaign.
YOU’VE got to take your hat off to manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for Burton Albion’s incredible revival over the last couple of months.
When Jimmy watched from the stands and saw his new side lose 5-1 at home to Oxford in the new year, he must have thought ‘what’s going on here?’.
Since then, though, he’d led the Brewers to eight wins from ten matches heading into the weekend and hauled them off the bottom of the League One table and out of the relegation zone.
It’s never easy to know why it sometimes clicks for a manager at one club but not another. Jimmy led Burton to promotion from League Two in his first spell in charge, but he didn’t really kick on at QPR or Northampton.
Now he’s gone back to Burton and he’s just flown. He brought a few players in on loan and free transfers, he’s freshened up the squad.
He’s clearly worked on defending and put in the effort on the training ground. They conceded six goals in those ten games – and three of them were in one match against Sunderland.
That’s the bedrock to start to get results. You make yourself hard to beat, defend set-pieces and hope one of yours will work. He’s gone back to basics and it’s paid off. When you start winning games, that breeds confidence and team spirit.
Jimmy has always had that desire and hunger as a manger and, for whatever reason, Burton seems to be his club.