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We'll be the Dons
Dave Lawrenson3/ 7/2008
DONCASTER Knights had better watch out as Shaun McRae believes that Sunday’s Northern Rail Cup final will bring out the best in his Salford City Reds side.
With young prop Stephen Nash unlikely to have recovered from the sternum injury which ruled him out of Salford’s 30-24 National League One win against Halifax on Friday, McRae is planning to field the same 17 players which saw off a spirited Halifax comeback in that top of the table clash.
And he is tipping his troops to reward him with their best performance of the season in what is undoubtedly their biggest game of the season.
McRae said: "This game in Blackpool means an awful lot to everyone connected to the club.
"Cup finals do not come along very often and I am confident that the players will rise to the occasion.
"We have a lot of big-game players here and they will lead the way on Sunday (July 6, kick-off 2.45pm).
"We have struggled to play well for the full 80 minutes this year and there is no better time to put that right than in a cup final."
Malc Alker, Paul Highton and Stuart Littler were all part of the Reds squad which lifted the cup in 2003. But most of Salford’s players have never played in a cup final before.
However, there is far more experience in Salford’s squad than there is in Ellery Hanley’s young Doncaster side. And League One table-toppers Salford will go into the clash at Bloomfield Road with League Two Doncaster as massive favourites.
It will be Doncaster’s first ever cup final and they have not beaten Salford for more than 22 years. But McRae and his players are refusing to take the Knights lightly.
He said: "They are undoubtedly one of the best teams in League Two and they have proven that they are more than capable of upsetting higher league sides.
"They have done very well to get to the cup final and they were impressive in beating Batley in the semi-finals.
"Doncaster don’t make many errors. They defend well and put you under pressure and they have three very good Kiwis in Corey Lawrie, Andreas Bauer and Zeb Luisi, who lead the side around the field. They have all played at a high level and they provide most of Doncaster’s strike power.
"They also have a talented half back on loan from Leeds in Luke Gale (who has scored 19 tries in 19 games this season). So there is no shortage of talent there. We have the upmost respect for them.
"Any team that has reached a cup final will surely believe that they’re good enough to win it.
"I know that we are the favourites but the favourites do not always win. There has always been upsets, no matter what sport you are talking about.
"Doncaster will be determined to produce their best ever game on Sunday but so are we.
"We got a good result against Halifax at the weekend and I will probably reward the team by going with the same 17 players again. I was pretty happy with the make-up of that 17 and it is unlikely that Stephen Nash will be fit enough to come back into the side, though he may return against Dewsbury the following week."
McRae insists that his players have been ultra focused in training this week. And he has every confidence in Salford’s fans turning out in force to provide vital vocal support from the stands.
He said: "The players have been great in training this week. They want that trophy and they want to go into the game as well prepared as they possibly can be.
"The key thing in a cup final is to stay composed and I have been hammering home that message, particularly to the younger guys. You can’t afford to panic when the pressure is on in games of that magnitude.
"As for the fans, it would be fantastic to see a lot of them there and I am sure that we will do. We are lucky enough to have a great set of fans at Salford and their support will be a big help to us on Sunday."
Any Reds fans yet to buy a ticket for the big day should call: 0871 226 1313.
Meanwhile, McRae admits that he may look to strengthen his squad before the National League transfer deadline has passed on Friday, July 18.
The Reds certainly have scope to do so on the salary cap system with James Jiminez and Damien Reid having departed since the start of the season.
He said: "We may bring someone in but, then again, we may not do. I honestly don’t know at this stage."
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3/07/2008 at 15:13
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