Trophy hunters proud to fly the flag

Luton Town, AFC Telford and Guiseley beware – the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League’s trio of Trophy hunters are after your scalps on Saturday.

Matlock Town, King’s Lynn Town and Skelmersdale United all head into their FA Trophy Second Round clashes determined to keep the Evo-Stik NPL’s flag flying high by overcoming their Conference opponents to reach the competition's last 16.

The three clubs all say they plan to make the most of their home advantage with victories that will see them bank another £6000 in prize money from the Football Association to add to the £14,000 they’ve collected already.

Matlock manager Mark Atkins revealed he’s been preparing his Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division Gladiators for Luton at Causeway Lane with messages of support flooding in from across the league since Massiah McDonald fired home their 90th minute winner in the 2-1 replay win over Mansfield.

Atkins said: "There have been a lot of smiles around the place as you can imagine and we’re very proud to be representing the League. There’s a great camaraderie between clubs and at least ten managers must have texted me when we beat Mansfield with their congratulations.

"Everybody’s levels have gone up a notch as we’ve seen the big games like Mansfield coming up. The players are all playing for their places so the whole place has been on a high."

After overcoming Stalybridge Celtic, Leek Town and Eastwood Town in previous rounds, Atkins is confident his Gladiators will be ready for one of the biggest games in the their history but warned they’ll have to be at their best to overcome the former Football League Hatters.

"The run is great for the club and we’ll be ready," he said. "We are a small club with a small budget and it has helped us attract and sign players like Massiah [McDonald] which we might not have been able to do without this run. On our day we’ll give anybody a game but to go in the competition we will have to be at our best."

Skelmersdale United will represent Evo-Stik NPL First Division North when Conference North Guiseley arrive at the West Lancashire College Stadium. Like Atkins, manager Tommy Lawson is delighted with the support he's received from fellow clubs. He admits forcing his players to focus on their league campaign has been tough but a task he’d happily repeat after their great run led by their giant-killing of Conference North Boston United, Skem winning the sides’ First Round Replay 2-1.

Lawson, who picked up his third managerial award of the season when he was named November’s Evo-Stik NPL First Division North Manager of the Month, said: "We've just been focusing on the league and trying not looking any further ahead than that. That is our main target and Guiseley has been in the distance. We didn't want to be side-tracked so without a doubt the league has come first."

As well as Boston, Skem have also knocked out Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division Witton Albion and league rivals New Mills. Lawson believes the results, and especially the Boston win, were no flukes.

He added: "When you play two games against a team in a cup tie the best team normally wins so I don’t think it was fluke. We have a very good league which is competitive, well run and doing really well in the competition this season so we're ready and well prepared.

"We’re one of the lowest ranked team left in it now so we want to fly the flag for the league and go on as far as possible. It's been an adventure, a challenge and a test of the players and hopefully will give them that extra bit of confidence for the rest of the campaign."

Evo-Stik NPL First Division South King’s Lynn Town and their manager Gary Setchell expects The Walks to packed for Saturday’s visit from Conference Premier AFC Telford. Setchell, October's Manager of the Month, hailed their tie is a fitting reward for his side's great season. Like Lawson, the Linnet's manager insists the Evo-Stik NPL’s clubs have shown the strength of the league again through their performances and says they'll be looking to pull off a famous victory after reaching an FA Semi-Final in recent years following the club's reformation.

He said: "The [Evo-Stik] Northern Premier League is a very strong and we’re very proud to be representing the league and trying for a place in the last 16. That would be fantastic if we can do it and we can. I honestly think, certainly at our Step 4 level, that the league is stronger than the Ryman and Evo-Stik Southern.

"The players have earned this game to test themselves against even higher opposition and we’ll be trying to win. We’ll probably have to be at the best we’ve been all season and may need Telford to have an off day but we can do it.

"The bigger the games are, the better we have played this season so we’re confident and really looking forward to the game. We’ve got the side to do it and the Trophy has really caught the imagination of the town. Hopefully they’ll be a big gate and we’ll put on a good show."