Lancaster City bid to seal spot in county final

Neil Marshall wins a header in the defeat to Trafford on Saturday. Picture: Tony North

The Dolly Blues face Padiham in the semi-finals of the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy at the County Ground in Leyland.

Wins over AFC Darwen and Ashton Athletic in earlier rounds mean Phil Brown’s side know victory over the North West Counties Premier Division side will see them line up against holders Chorley at Bolton Wanderers’ Macron Stadium in the final.

Captain Neil Marshall sees the county showpiece as a chance to end his Dolly Blues career on a high, the skipper having announced his intention to retire at the end of the season due to an ongoing battle with cancer.

The central defender said: “I’ve been playing the Lancashire Cup for 10 years now and I think I’d only reached one semi-final before our good run this season.

“It’s a great opportunity for us against Padiham but they will be looking at it the same.

“We’ve just got make sure we focus on the job in hand and don’t look too far ahead because although we’ve got a good record against Padiham and they’re in the league below it will be a big test.

“It should be a good occasion though. It’s a neutral semi-final but Leyland isn’t too far for fans of either side to travel. Hopefully our performance matches the importance of the game.”