If at first you don’t succeed then try, try, try, try, try and try again. That is a rather extended motto for Blyth Spartans captain Robbie Dale as he finally got his hands on the Northumberland Senior Cup at the sixth time of asking.
The long-serving winger lifted the trophy after his side’s 2-0 win over EBAC Northern League outfit Morpeth Town and admitted that after two comprehensive final defeats, winning the trophy is “right up there” with his achievements at Croft Park.
“It’s a cup, we have won something and I have to put it right up there. I have been at this place and been thumped twice by 4-0 scorelines and you can’t tell me that people enjoy that just because of the venue or the occasion. You want to win and we have done so tonight I will enjoy it”
Michael Richardson handed Spartans the perfect start with an early goal, his tenth of an impressive debut season at the club. Despite several golden chances to extend their lead it wasn’t until a late goal for Dan Maguire set the seal on the win for Dale and his team mates and the skipper admitted he was relieved to see top scorer Maguire hit the back of the net.
“It was a nice feeling and I have to say I was pretty relieved when Nipa (Dan Maguire) got the second goal. We missed some chances to kill the game off but that was the one that finally did it. You were getting a little bit worried at one point that missing chances might come back and haunt is but I think overall we deserved the win, we were the better side on the night”
Winning the Senior Cup was the perfect tonic for Spartans after Saturday’s season ending home defeat to Marine. That loss killed off Tom Wade’s side’s chances of sneaking into the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League play-offs and Dale admitted that Spartans needed a win to end the season on a high.
“It is great to end the season with a win. If we ended the season on Saturday, with the loss to Marine, there is a bad feeling and it would last for three months until we play again. This way we have played well and won, it’s the best way to end a great season”
The Green Army were out in force at St James Park and saw their side lift the Senior Cup for the first time in over two decades. With Spartans supporters travelling from near and far to see the final against the Highwaymen Dale emphasised their importance to the club.
“You see the lads from Cannock and Coventry who travelled from down there on Saturday for the game, travelled back and now are back up for the game tonight, that is some commitment from them isn’t it? But whether they are from local or outside of the region we appreciate all of our supporters and I am pleased they have seen us win some silverware”
For now attention turns towards a big summer for everyone at Croft Park. It is a summer that Spartans head in to in a position of strength according to their captain, unlike the past three close-seasons and Dale is hopeful that real quality can be added to the squad to allow for another promotion push next season.
“We have to keep the majority of the squad and see what comes in. In the position we are in now we can only add quality so we are in a good position going into the summer”