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Long Stratton joint manager Steve Race on wanting more special occasions at Manor Road after hosting first Norfolk Senior Cup quarter-final tie




It was an historic day, but without the historic result they had hoped for, and now the goal for Long Stratton is to bring more of these special occasions to Manor Road.

A record attendance reported as 379 flocked to see the Reds in their first ever home quarter-final in the Ashtons Legal Norfolk Senior Cup on Saturday.

Steve Race and Damian Hilton’s side had already wrote their names into the club’s history books this season, knocking out two higher-league teams, both away from home, in Fakenham Town and Norwich United, to reach the last eight of Norfolk’s leading cup competition for only the second time.

A reported record crowd of 379 was at Manor Road for Saturday’s Norfolk Senior Cup quarter-final tie Picture: Mark Bullimore
A reported record crowd of 379 was at Manor Road for Saturday’s Norfolk Senior Cup quarter-final tie Picture: Mark Bullimore

The reward was a home clash with the Senior Cup holders Mulbarton Wanderers, another outfit from the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, two steps higher than the Reds.

And it was the defending champions who brought Stratton’s record-equalling run to an end with a 4-0 win.

A first-half hat-trick of headers from Eliot Altay did the damage at Manor Road, before Sammy Imessaoudene put the tie out of sight with Mulbarton’s fourth goal midway through the second half.

The lower-league hosts were denied a consolation late on when substitute Sam Wenham’s penalty was saved, but for joint boss Race he feels the goal now is to ensure Saturday’s bumper crowd becomes more of a regular occurrence.

Long Stratton full-back Bailey Dennis receives close attention from the Mulbarton attack Picture: Mark Bullimore
Long Stratton full-back Bailey Dennis receives close attention from the Mulbarton attack Picture: Mark Bullimore

“There was a lot of supporters here and ex-players that I haven’t seen for a long time,” he said.

“Our message to them is to come to every home game, not just Senior Cup quarter-finals.

“We want them here every week. We’re ambitious as a club.

“Eventually if we can we want to get into the Thurlow Nunn and these are the sort of size crowds that we want to be getting.

“I was disappointed we couldn’t give them a goal at the end. It would have been nice for them.

“But we want more of that. We want more success and we want more good crowds here.”

The Mulbarton goalkeeper brings down Long Stratton substitute Luca Braddon to give away a penalty Picture: Mark Bullimore
The Mulbarton goalkeeper brings down Long Stratton substitute Luca Braddon to give away a penalty Picture: Mark Bullimore

Race now wants his Stratton side to keep their season alive by joining East Harling in the Mummery Cup final this weekend.

The Reds host Wroxham Reserves in the semi-finals of the competition, exclusive to clubs in the Fosters Solicitors Anglian Combination, at Manor Road tomorrow (2pm).

The two sides are separated by eight places in the current Premier Division standings, with Stratton in 10th spot and Wroxham in second.

After seeing their club record equalling run in the Norfolk Senior Cup come to an end last weekend, Race is keen to put all the focus on tomorrow’s cup tie.

Sam Wenham (right) missed from the spot as Long Stratton searched for a consolation goal Picture: Mark Bullimore
Sam Wenham (right) missed from the spot as Long Stratton searched for a consolation goal Picture: Mark Bullimore

“We’ve done well and there’s a lot of pride in our Senior Cup run this year,” Race (pictured right) said.

“This weekend we have a Mummery Cup semi-final, so our focus is on that now.

“We have to put that run in the Senior Cup to bed now because this weekend is a really big game.

“We have to put all our efforts in to try and get into that Mummery Cup final.

“Anglian Combination teams don’t win Senior Cups. If you can get into the last eight or the last four then you’ve done very well.

“The Mummery Cup is always a competition we felt we can definitely get to the final of.

“This week is a new focus for us and we want to keep the season alive as well.

“We played Wroxham at our place earlier in the season (2-1 defeat) and we felt hard done by. I thought we played well that day.”

The winner of tomorrow’s semi-final clash at Manor Road will then meet East Harling in the final, with the Greens booking their spot in the Mummery Cup decider with a 3-0 victory at home against Division One side Wymondham Town on Saturday.

A Charlie Webb hat-trick did the damage for higher-league Harling, with the treble taking the striker’s tally to 15 goals for the campaign.

Stacey Lawrence’s men pick up their Premier Division fixtures with two games in the next four days at the start of a busy run-in.

Harling (5th) host 13th-placed Waveney at Church Road tomorrow (2.30pm), before making the trip to Wroxham Reserves on Tuesday (7.30pm).

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, in-form Scole United (3rd) made it six wins on the spin with a 2-1 victory at home to Mattishall on Saturday.

Marc Pearce’s side were two goals to the good at half-time, thanks to Harry Rollingson and Jake McDowall, before Troy Bond pulled one back for the visitors in the second half.

Scole will look to keep their winning run going when they visit seventh-placed Blofield United tomorrow (2.30pm).

The clash at Old Yarmouth Road pits the first (Scole) and third (Blofield) best sides in the form table against each other.



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