Maccabi fighting fit ahead of fairytale final
FOOTBALL SCOTT McGarvey insists Manchester Maccabi 1st have nothing to lose ahead of their County Cup final showdown against Waterloo.
Adam Stevens and Oli Grant were their semi-final heroes and McGarvey is confident his players can hold their nerve following their best run in the competition.
“To reach County Cup final is a great achievement for the club,” said McGarvey, a former striker with Manchester United and Scotland who now manages the Maccabi team.
“Waterloo start as favourites as they played in a higher league, but the boys have been working hard in training and they are ready.
“Overall the club is in very good health. We have a fantastic set-up — some of the boys don’t know how lucky they are.”
Maccabi remain on course for the double — they have games in hand on their rivals ahead of the Accountants League Premier Division run-in.
McGarvey said: “They’ve all bought into the fact that they have to be fit and that has been reflected in our performances this season. I’ve told them you can have all the ability in the world but if you’re not fit then you’re wasting your talent. We’ve been training twice a week — every session working with the ball — and the spirit in the camp is excellent.”
A veteran of more than 400 professional matches in England, France, Cyprus and Japan, McGarvey has been associated with the Brooklands club for six years.
He said: “I’ve seen lots of Jewish boys who could give it a go at a higher level. Louie Basso has been one of the top midfielders for us this season and it’s a massive blow that he won’t be involved in the final or our remaining league games due to travel commitments.
“Training has been sharp and everyoneisupbeat.Ihopetheplayersrespond and carry on doing what they’ve been doing for the last 18 months.”
Striker Oli Grant has registered six goals in their cup run, including a hattrick in the 6-1 fourth-round win over Cheers FC. Sam Hatton, 18, has established himself as an “important player”. Hescoredalatewinnerinthederbyclash against South Manchester last weekend, while Mark Bell has been a “commanding figure” in his debut season.
McGarvey said: “The boys have been different class this season. They all know how big Sunday is and hopefully they’ll relax on the day, go about their business and put their names in lights.”