Midland Combination (Division One) v Southern Amateur League
FA Carlsberg National League System Cup
The Final
7.30pm, Saturday 3 May 2008
Ricoh Arena, Coventry City FC
Admission is £3 with concessions at £1
Click here for previous results

The Midland Combination (Division One) will be hoping home advantage can count in their favour on Saturday evening, as they contest The FA National League System Cup with the Southern Amateur League.

Coventry City’s impressive Ricoh Arena will be home for the day, as the Midlanders look to become only the third winners of this competition.

In fact the previous winners of The NLS Cup from 2006, the Isle Of Man, were beaten by the Midland Football Combination in the Semi-Final late last month.

In a close game, the Finalists were eventually decided courtesy of kicks from the penalty mark following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes at The Bowl in Douglas.

The Combination had taken the lead in the first half with Jermaine Smith’s goal, but the Manxmen drew level when Callum Morrissey conjured up an equaliser with an impressive strike from the edge of the box.

With the home side pushing for a winner to secure a second successive Final appearance, the Combination had to remain strong and goalkeeper Neil Leech was in fine form to keep them at bay on numerous occasions.

After 120 minutes, it came down to penalties and with Northfield Town star Leech continuing his impressive form by making one save and seeing another of the Manxmen’s spot-kicks fly over the bar, it left his Northfield team-mate Dan Pilgrim to score and send the Combination through.

Manager Martin Harrison (left), who also works as a coach with the Aston Villa Community Programme, was delighted with the outcome and is now focusing on a similar outcome in The Final.

"On the balance of play, the Isle Of Man probably had the better of it, but at the end of the day it's about who can stand up and take a penalty," he said.

"Our boys were still up for it at the end and the 'keeper had a superb game, but I was proud of every single player.

“We’re delighted to be in The Final now and we’re looking to put in a good performance and get the right result.”

The Midlanders certainly seem to have plenty of goals in their team, with Castle Vale JKS hitman Luke Powell having scored well over 30 goals this season and Oldbury Athletic’s Dawayan Mardenborough netting 16.

If Leech can recreate his form from the Semi-Final too, then Harrison will strongly fancy his side’s chances.