Morpeth Town assistant manager Jon McDonald is relishing the challenge of taking on his former club North Shields in the Techflow Marine Northumberland Senior Cup Final.
McDonald spent the 2016/17 season in charge of the Robins and helped the club to a third-placed finish in Northern League Division One after they reached over 100 points during the campaign.
They also reached the finals of the Senior Cup and the Brooks Mileson Northern League Cup, but suffered defeats in both games against Blyth Spartans and South Shields respectively.
It was in the aftermath of the latter that it was announced that McDonald had been sacked by the Robins.
He returned to the game in October 2017 to help Blyth AFC to promotion into the Northern League’s top-tier and also had a short stint as a coach at Seaham Red Star, before joining Morpeth Town as assistant manager in November last year.
Now he faces a reunion with a number of his former Robins players and McDonald expressed his determination to get a win against his former club.
He told Chronicle Live “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it.
“There’s a couple of reasons really – the first one being that I have been to the Senior Cup Final with North Shields and I came away as a loser against a very strong Blyth Spartans side that night.
“I am determined to go back this time and get a positive result for Morpeth Town.
“Obviously people will go back to it being North Shields, and the circumstances in which I left the club, and I think that’s playing a part in why I am looking forward to the game.
“But, it’s not about me, it’s about Morpeth Town and making sure that we get a win in the final and to make sure that we are the ones celebrating.”
It could be a historic week for Morpeth Town as they close in on a league and cup double.
Hot on the heels of their Senior Cup Final is a crucial league encounter with Evo-Stik NPL East Division title rivals Pontefract Collieries.
A win over the Yorkshire outfit would see the Highwaymen crowned as league champions and McDonald is looking forward to the challenge of “two tough games”.
“We hope it could be a positive week,” he explained.
“It’s great being in the final and we are really looking forward to being at St James' Park.
“But our priority is to get promoted and to win the league.
“It’s fantastic that we have something to look forward to with the Senior Cup Final and we hope it can be part of a great week for Morpeth Town.
“We have two tough games ahead of us, but we know that the rewards are massive if we can get two positive results.”
The Techflow Marine Northumberland Senior Cup Final between North Shields and Morpeth Town takes place at St James Park tonight with a 7.30pm kick-off.
Tickets are available in the East Stand and are priced at £6 for adults and £3 for concessions.
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