North Walkden FC missed out on the Atherton Charity Cup final after a 3-1 loss to Bolton-based side Daisy Hill.
The club missed out on the chance to reach another final, with a game against Didsbury FC Villa in the Manchester Saturday Amateur Cup coming up this week, but showed that they can compete with the top teams.
Daisy Hill raced into a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, before a brilliant free-kick from Adam Doyle brought North Walkden FC back into the game just before half-time.
It wasn’t to be for the Little Hulton based side though, with Daisy Hill making it 3-1 in the 50th minute and booking their place in the final.
Anthony Staines, who set up the mens’ open age team and runs his daughters age group, was at the match and said: “We knew it was gonna be tough, they’re semi pro, they get paid and they went strong as well.
“We set up, lots of energy, kept it tight and hopefully nick it in the last half an hour.”
He continued: “We had a goalkeeper mistake which allowed them 1-0 up, it was a bit of a soft free-kick to be fair. Mix up at the back for the second, but it was a pretty even game so I was pretty disappointed until then.”
Opposition first team manager Lee Hill shared his thoughts on X: “Not a game I was looking forward to, against a good North Walkden side.
“I knew it would be a tough evening and a potential banana skin for us. Got some very good players and are coached well. All the best for your final on Friday lads.”
Staines continued, speaking on the importance of the cup to North Walkden: “There’s two charity cups we’re in and it’s a great competition to be in because you play some top teams and raise money for a great cause. You get a lot of spectators. It’s always good to play in front of a crowd.
And with a cup final looming later this week, Staines added: “These cups are massive. Any final, whether it’s charity or county, everyone wants to play in one, but the county cup final’s the big one for us, we’ve been aiming to be in it for some time.
Daisy Hill, nicknamed the Cutters, hit the headlines recently after social media star Aaron Hunt took over his local club as chairman in February.
Hunt managed the side on the video game Football Manager and streamed his success to his followers.
Typically, prior to the takeover, the Cutters attracted around 50 supporters, but made national headlines for Hunt’s first game as chairman, with the attendance well in the hundreds.
Staines said: “It’s had a bit of negative publicity but I met him last night and he seems like a nice guy. We had a bit of a battle with them on the pitch but behind the scenes they all seem like nice people.
“If they’re pulling in crowds of 800, there were 300 there last night, it can only be good for the game because the more money they get in the better it is for them and if they’re taking a large crowd to an away game it’s better for them too.
“It generates more money for everyone so I don’t see any negatives in it, it’s good for the game.”
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