Framlingham Town prepare to defend their Suffolk Senior Cup title when they travel to Whitton United on Tuesday evening
Framlingham Town’s 2-1 defeat to FC Parson Drove at the weekend was branded as the ‘worst performance of the season’ by manager Liam Abraham, which was not the best precursor as his side prepare to defend their Suffolk Senior Cup title.
After a blistering start, winning their first five games in the Thurlow Nunn First Division North, Fram have lost two of their last three league matches.
While Archie Exworth opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the campaign, minutes into Saturday’s match, Bradley Easey and Evander Jose turned things around to secure FC Parson Drove’s first home league win of the season.
The Casltemen’s other defeat came when they hosted Stanway Pegasus on August 19. Having played with 10 men for so long, after Matthew Aldis was shown his marching orders with a straight red card, the game was poised at 1-1.
But with just 20 minutes left, Stanway collected all three points through substitute Reife Marangou.
“The last few weeks have been a bit more challenging with a couple of defeats,” said Abraham.
“In the Stanway (Pegasus) loss, we still performed really well and we felt the work rate and application was really promising.
“Saturday was the opposite. It was probably our worst performance and we were really disappointed to come away with nothing. (The players) didn’t perform how we wanted them to and not to the standards we’ve been at this year.”
A quick turnaround will be needed after they host Norwich CBS tomorrow (3pm), as Fram turn their attention to the first round of the CNet Training Suffolk Senior Cup. It was a trophy they lifted at Colchester United FC for the first time in May, following their 2-0 victory against AFC Sudbury Reserves.
Fellow First Division One North rivals Whitton United will host the defending champions and look to knock them out on Tuesday night (7.45pm).
“It was a great occasion for the club (last season),” said Abraham.
“For all of the supporters, staff and hard working volunteers to come and watch us in a nice stadium, and to then lift the trophy in front of them was even better. We’ve got such fond memories of it and we look to progress in it on Tuesday.”
Abraham stated how he will have to ‘balance minutes’ in midweek as his side played seven games in August and will have battled in another eight matches come the end of September.
“It has been and will be a heavy couple of months for the players. When the pro-teams are training every day they can do it, but for non-league teams it’s a heavy workload so we’re going to have to be sensible,” said Abraham.
“At the same time we want to go as strong as possible to progress through the rounds.”
Although last season saw the Castlemen lift the Suffolk Senior Cup, it was tinged with disappointment as they were knocked out of the First Division North play-off semi-final on penalties to Harwich & Parkeston.
As amazing as back-to-back trophy lifts would be for Fram, Abraham said: “I was asked before the play-offs last year ‘what would you pick, promotion or Senior Cup?’
“I said ‘definitely promotion’ and even having won it I stand by it. Promotion is our primary aim and any other silverware that comes along side would be great as well.”
