A PLACE in the last 16 of the Lancashire Amateur Cup is the desired outcome for Millom tomorrow, but player-manager Danny Pattinson would first of all just like to play 90 minutes of knock-out football.

The Hanna Field outfit have endured a bizarre run in the county competition so far, progressing after their second-round tie with Longshaw was abandoned in acrimonious circumstances and then being given a walk-over by Walton Le Dale in round three.

Tomorrow’s scheduled visitors Rochdale St Clements are at least set to make the trip and Pattinson is not expecting anything untoward this time around.

“We’ve never experience a call-off in the county cup,” said Pattinson. “We’ve been in the Shield and played against teams higher than us, and we’re always willing to travel.

“To get a phone call in the week was disappointing for me and the lads.

“We’re into round four and we’ve only played 35 minutes. You’d like to think as we’ve gone on, the teams will get a little better and a little bit tougher, so it should be a decent test for us.”

Millom go into the match on the back of two straight defeats in West Lancashire League Division One, although they came against high-flyers Lytham Town and Leyland United.

The club have enjoyed plenty of cup adventures in recent years too, including winning the Furness Senior Cup and finishing runners-up to Charnock Richard reserves in the West Lancs Challenge Cup last season.

Their visitors from Rochdale sit mid-table in Division One of the Lancashire Amateur League and Pattison is optimistic Millom can keep their hopes of county cup success alive.

“I had a talk with the Leyland manager and he said it’s not a bad league, but on our day, as long as we apply ourselves like we normally do and play like we normally do, he said we shouldn’t have any problems,” said Pattinson.

“Hopefully we’re going into it with a little bit of confidence, but it’s into the unknown in terms of the opposition we’re playing.

“This is something Vickerstown won when they first went into it a while ago and it’s something we’re looking at having a chance in because our league is one of the higher-ranked leagues in it.

“It’s certainly there to be won for a team in our league and we always seem to do well in cup competitions.”

The rest of the area’s remaining teams in the Amateur Cup are on the road for their fourth-round ties, with Furness Cavailiers at Highgrove, Hawcoat Park away to Old Mancunians and Walney Island travelling to Winstaley St Aidens.

Other fixtures

North West Counties League First Division North (3pm): Shelley v Holker Old Boys.

West Lancashire League Premier Division (2pm): Vickerstown v Hesketh Bank.

West Lancashire League Division One (2pm): Askam United v Eagley, Stoneclough v Crooklands Casuals.

West Lancashire League Division Two (2pm): Dalton United v Kendal United, Furness Rovers v Horwich St Marys.