RIDGEONS League clubs won the Touchline Sports Suffolk Senior Cup seven seasons on the trot until Grundisburgh pipped Hadleigh United at Portman Road last year.

Elvin King

RIDGEONS League clubs won the Touchline Sports Suffolk Senior Cup seven seasons on the trot until Grundisburgh pipped Hadleigh United at Portman Road last year.

Tomorrow's quarter-finals sees Brantham Athletic carrying the Ridgeons flag on their own.

They are at home to Corton in a game that kicks off of 3pm, with Brantham manager Tony Hall wary of facing a north Suffolk team that had already beaten Ipswich Wanderers and Ransomes Sports.

“Ransomes manager Pete Gorham has done a run-down for me and I will be speaking to him,” said Hall.

“We know it will be tough but, if we play to our capabilities, we will have a good chance of reaching the semi-final.

“We are in form with a run of six straight away victories and a home win last week over Clacton.”

Brantham are third in the Ridgeons League First Division following a move up from the Metaltec SIL last season, and Hall admits that his priority is to gain promotion.

“If we carry on playing as we are now then why shouldn't we look towards the Premier Division?” he said.

“We lost four senior players when Mark Morsley left his chief executive role to take over as manager at Harwich, but I have talented youngsters at the club who have come in and seamlessly taken their places.

“They are all mates, and with new signings David Grimwood (from Felixstowe) and Jimmy Chatters (from Harwich) both available tomorrow we will be looking to make progress - with Portman Road a big carrot.”

Grimwood was a winner with Grundisburgh last year and after the SIL side lost to Stowmarket 12 months earlier he will be seeking a hat-trick of final appearances.

It could be a double Brantham occasion at Portman Road with their reserve team at home to Long Melford Reserves in the quarter-finals of the Suffolk Junior Cup.

Grundisburgh face a tough cup game against one of their main rivals for the SIL title Crane Sports, while fellow SIL sides - Capel Plough and Leiston St Margarets - face difficult ties against Beccles and Lakenheath respectively.