FA RUN GIVING HACKETT PLENTY TO CHEER

IT’S the Cup what killed us! That’s a familiar call which comes from frustrated fans as well as managers as a season peters out.

All the hype and expectation around a big day after an upset or two and suddenly it’s difficult to raise your game once the bunting has been put away and you’re out of the famous old competition.

The league can suddenly become second best following the excitement of the TV coverage and a cash windfall, but at Stourbridge their FA Cup exit has acted only to inspire.

Gary Hackett was thrilled as his team kept the pressure up on leaders Blyth Spartans as they beat Ashton United 4-1 on Monday night.

Stourbridge reached the third round of the Cup and fell just short against Wycombe Wanderers, missing out on a trip to Tottenham and around £500,000 in the process.

But the manager said there’s been no sulking – and no hangover.

“You see it a lot of the time, you go out of the FA Cup and all of a sudden results in the league tail off,” said Hackett.

“But it’s had the opposite effect with us. We’ve won five of our last six league games, the defeat was a blip against Sutton Coldfield – a bad day at the office.

“We’re on a really good run of form now, the players have the bit between their teeth and we’re in the race for promotion for sure.”

On their great FA Cup run, Stourbridge beat Peterborough Sports, Mickleover, Ilkeston, King’s Lynn, Whitehawk and, of course, League One Northampton Town.

“We had an incredible run, but it’s over now and we know where our focus is,” he adds.

“We want to get promotion and that’s our main aim. We’re second on merit and we’ll keep doing what we’re doing.

“It’s an obvious thing for any manager to say but we’re really driven towards that goal.

“I’m happy with how we’ve coped with losing three key defenders, but I need to get one or two new players in. Making sure they are the right ones could decide the direction we are going in.”