BURY Town boss Richard Wilkins is backing his side to win tonight’s Alan Boon Cup final if they play to their potential.

The final, against East Thurrock United, takes place at Staines Town FC, the club Alan Boon was associated with for nearly 40 years and was the long-standing chairman of at the time of his death in August last year.

Wilkins said: “We go there in good spirits and are looking forward to it. We want to put on a good show and get some silverware on the table.

“If we play to our levels I fancy us to win the game. We need to make sure we create the chances, and if we do so we will score goals.”

Bury bounced back to win 1-0 at Hastings United on Saturday, after seeing their 11-match undefeated run ended by tonight’s opponents in last Tuesday’s Ryman League Premier Division match.

The Rocks, thanks to an inspired display by goalkeeper Richard Wray, won 2-1, but Wilkins doesn’t believe the outcome of that match will have any effect on tonight’s final.

He said: “I don’t think so. They had about three chances and we had about ten, but their goalkeeper was excellent on the night, especially in the first half when he made four or five great saves.

“It was still 0-0 in the second half when he made a fantastic save from John Kennedy and they then got a soft penalty, which saw Roscoe Hipperson sent off, and the course of the game changed dramatically in those five minutes.

“They then scored a bizarre own goal, where Marcus Garnham pushed the ball out and it went in off Tom Bullard, and it turned into one of those games that you have three or four times a season when you walk off the pitch you wonder ‘how did that happen?’

“However, they are a very hard-working side and their front two are a handful. The pitch was not fantastic, but I am sure the pitch at Staines will be good like it was when we went there in the FA Cup last season.”

Wilkins has named a 16-man squad, with the only absentees injured duo Craig Nurse (ankle) and Elliot Hunter, who is due to undergo a cruciate knee operation on Saturday.

Sam Nunn, who sustained a hairline fracture after skipper and centre back partner Tom Bullard accidentally stood on his toe, was back on the bench on Saturday and is in contention to return.

Kick-off is 7.30pm and unlike the earlier rounds there will be extra time if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

Bury Town squad: Garnham, Short, Coulson, Hall, Hipperson, Bullard, Nunn, Smith, Clark, Kennedy, Kearns, L Reed, Cunningham, Leabon, S Reed, Sands.