WE AIM TO BE SM-ASH HITS!

Robins can rally for Steve

- By John Lyons

UPBEAT boss Steve Cunningham is confident Ashton United have got the foundations in place to have a real crack at winning the NPL Premier.

The Robins flew into the play-offs with a fifth-place finish last term but then fell to an agonising 2-1 play-off semi-final defeat at runners-up Worksop Town, who went on to win promotion to National League North.

Nonetheless, it was another major step forward under Cunningham, who took the reins in the opening days of 2023.

“We didn’t get over the last hurdle, but I’m still massively proud,” the 45-year-old ex-Colne, Curzon Ashton and Buxton boss told The NLP. “It was our best performance by a country mile and it was the proudest I've been of the players even though we lost.

“We are still licking our wounds, but it shows how far the team has come. Going into the new season, we can look back and think ‘wow, this is how good we could be’.”

The display against the Tigers and the fact he has been able to keep the bulk of his squad together for the coming campaign give him reason for genuine optimism.