West Riding County Cup Final
Vill Powell hopes Brighouse Town can crown their superb seventh-place finish by lifting the West Riding County Cup for the first time in the club’s history.
Arch rivals and NPL Division One East champions Liversedge stand in their way in the final which is being played at Brighouse tonight.
“It is an opportunity to win something so it is the biggest game of the season as far as we’re concerned,” Powell told Non League Yorkshire.
“Brighouse have never won it before so that’s another milestone.
“It is against a team who have backing and have a lot of quality and they are the favourites, irrespective of the fact it is at our place.
“They have just won the league so you add all that into the mix, it ranks as a massive game.
“Where it ranks with anything else.
“(The 2019) Play-Off Final will always rank above something like the County Cup Final, even we didn’t go up (despite winning).
“We go into it as underdogs due to what Liversedge bring to the party, but we’ll be giving it everything.”
“Finishing seventh and winning the County Cup would look fantastic.
Brighouse will be without Injured pair Corey Gregory and James Hurtley along with Josh Grant (bug) who all are out.
Matty Nebard is doubtful.
The contest is bound to be feisty based on the previous two clashes and Powell agrees.
“I’ve phone calls from their camp, telling me how much their lads are up for it and how much they want to beat us,” he said.
“There is that bit of needle in it.
“I expect there to be even more on Friday.
“It is going to a bit like a boxing match and I expect there to be fireworks and it to be a good game for the neutral.
“There were a couple of sending-offs at Christmas, but it was much ado with nothing.
“In the game at their place it was physical and a good battle and it finished in a draw.
“We know we can compete and give them a game.
“With a bit of luck and quality, we can get a result.”
Brighouse finished seventh after a brilliant run of form towards the end of the season.
Back in January, Brighouse were injury-hit and closer to the relegation zone.
In the end, Brighouse finished nine points off the play-offs and whilst delighted, Powell admitted there is a tinge of ‘what might have been’ if his side had stayed injury-free.
“I always had the belief in the squad from day one because I could measure it against previous squads I’ve had,” he said.
“This group is right up there in terms of quality, commitment and work rate.
“The problem I had in the first half of the season was I couldn’t get them all out on the pitch at the same time and it was a nightmare.
“Every squad has injury problems though.
“I never felt at any point that we were in a battle relegation-wise.
“We got everyone back and results proved that are a good group.
“The finish is amazing.
“You know what resources and backing Worksop have got and the quality they have got in their group so to finish above them and Ossett is really pleasing.
“If we had had everyone available from start to finish, I feel we’d have certainly been chasing Shildon and Cleethorpes and giving them a better run for their money than we did.
“We’d have been knocking on the doors of the play-offs, that’s for certain.”