Town set sights on a second cup semi spot

The Wongers host Lincs League rivals Nettleham in the Challenge Cup on Saturday, and boss Mickey Stones wants his side to give a good account of themselves following their recent defeat to the Nettles.

Back in November Town took a 3-0 lead at Mulsanne Park, only for the hosts to score five unanswered goals in the second half to claim the points.

“It’s Nettleham and I think we owe them one after the other week,” Stones told The News.

“I feel we’ve got something to prove there.

“We had a lot of unfit players or people with injures there, and we didn’t do ourselves justice.”

Luke Blondel’s brace and Jac Wright’s goal appeared to have settled the contest in Horncastle’s favour, only for Jack Higginson to score all five for the home side.

But since that defeat the Wongers have recorded three straight wins, beating Benington (2-1) and Epworth Town Colts (4-0) in the Mason Bros Lincs Junior Cup and Cleethorpes Town Reserves (2-0) in the league.

“We learnt a massive lesson that day,” added Stones, whose side have recorded back-to-back clean sheets and offered number one Lewis Burchnall little to do.

“We’ve improved a lot since then and the good thing is that, in the last two games, we haven’t conceded a shot on target.

“We’ve got probably the best keeper in the league and he hasn’t had a shot to save for the past two games.”

Town’s most recent result, the victory over Epworth, saw them move into the county cup’s final four, where they will face Tetney Rovers.

And Stones - whose side have won the Challenge Cup and Supplementary Cup in the past two seasons - would love to beat Nettleham and edge closer to some more silverware.

“It’s a quarter-final, so it’s a chance to get into a second semi-final,” he added.

“We seem to be a cup team, looking at it one game at a time. If we know a win will get us somewhere it seems to work for them.

“Getting into two semi-finals would be great for us and a chance to get into at least one final.”

Kick off at The Wong will be at 2.30pm.