Marathon season to end with a cup final for Parkgate FC

The newly crowned NCEL Division One champions bumped out Premier Division runners-up Campion 2-0 at Roundwood last night to book a place in the League Cup final against Emley AFC at Scunthorpe United FC next Wednesday (7.45pm).

The victory came only four days after the Steelmen knocked out another top-flight side, Silsden, to reach the semis, and they even squeezed in a 3-1 league win at Shirebrook Town on Monday night.

Last night’s match was Parkgate’s 56th of the season and their 11th in 23 days. It was also their eighth win on the spin.

“This group of lads continue to amaze everyone. They’re a great bunch, a special group,” said manager Scott Mason, who saw Gate come through with second-half goals from Ahmed Tahar and Cian Guest.

"As much as this has been a long season we didn’t want it to end last night and I said ‘come on, let’s book another match in.’

“We know what Campion are about, they put it on you. They go for it and can kill teams off. Going forward in the first half, we weren’t as good as we have been.

"We had a chat at half time and thought about changing it but we stuck with it and they grew into the game and took it to them and could have had a few more goals.

"Every single one of them, they were great again.”

Although Parkgate will go in as underdogs against new Premier Division champions Emley, they have plenty of motivation to cause an upset.

Parkgate’s last league and cup double was back in the 1960s.

No team from Rotherham has won the NCEL League Cup since Dinnington Town did it 14 years ago.

"It could be a league and cup double now. Who’d have thought?” added Mason. "Emley are on for the same thing as well. I just hope it’s our lads who do it because they deserve it.

"Scunthorpe’s ground is a new one for me in a final, so that’s another tick.

"We’ll get a team coach, we’ll go to Scunny and it will be a good night out anyway because we’ve had an amazing season.”