With the hectic start to the season over September is going to be a big month for Mersey Valley. 4 games, all with very different challenges and targets.

First up is a massive test in the Cheshire Cup, a trip to Chester Nomads, a side playing 2 levels higher in the Chester & Wirral Football League. The game on Friday night will be a first Cheshire Cup game for the club since October 2018 and a 6-1 defeat away at Vauxhall Motors.

Three league games follow, two more home games against Moore United and Sandbach Town and in the middle of those a trip to pre-season promotion favourites Stretford Paddock.

Manager Jon Hudson believes this month will be key for his squad. “It’s a big month, we’re back into the weekly structure with midweek games ending and this is when we need to try and find that consistency.

We have two homes games that we need to win, we need to attack the games in the way we did at the end of last season against the same opposition. The Paddock game will be tough, they are an excellent team and will be hard to play against on their new pitch at Hyde United but I know the lads are all looking to that challenge.

As for Friday I love these games, being an underdog and the chance to cause a big cup upset is a great place to be as the lads can relax and play without fear.”

It’s been a long and busy summer with 8 new players joining the team and the manager is happy with his squad but has now challenged them to take the next step.

“I really like our squad compared to last season which never felt complete, we have real balance all over the pitch and what we need to do now is work as a squad to compete for places and really push each other to improve and develop as a team”.

Mersey Valley taken on Chester Nomads on Friday night at Blacon High School in the 1^st Round of the Cheshire Amateur Saturday Cup – 7:30pm kick off.