The fight for silverware continues for Newton Abbot ’66 as they gear up to meet Elburton Villa 2nd XI on Friday night.
This pair will go head-to-head on the 17th and the winner will get their hands on the George Belli Cup at Foxhole Sports Ground.
Last weekend 66 lifted the Herald Cup - beating the odds to overcome Ilsington Villa.
66 manager Ian Clenahan paid homage to “the best collective performance in years” that was “as energetic as it gets”, which we bore witness to last week.
Last year was the same as this year in that the team went into it as second favourites. “The underdog tag suits us”, said Clenahan, “In the last few years, we have had a lot of strong, backs-to-the-wall performances against the odds.”
After reaching such heights against one Villa, “The challenge now is to maintain that level” against another.
“Not many get to the final of both” of these competitions, “and even fewer have won both the Herald Cup and the Belli Cup”, serving as extra motivation for a united group.
When it comes to the opponents, Clenahan wasn’t afraid to speak the truth. “Elburton are our bogey team, I don’t we’ve ever beaten them during my time here.”
He labelled them as “An extremely good, young side, a lot of whom have first-team ambitions.”