Martin Ryman believes South Liverpool are underdogs for their playoff final against Ashton Town but says anything can happen.
South edged past Atherton Laburnum Rovers thanks to Elliot Owen’s penalty but their path into the playoffs has been far from simple.
They needed a stroke of luck going into the final day of the regular season and raced into a three-goal lead against AFC Blackpool. However, they clawed their way back to 3-3 with goals in the 81st and 90th minute until Adam Beardsworth won it in stoppage time.
“The whole emotion of the last game of the league campaign was incredible really, we knew we had to win but we knew that it wouldn’t be enough if there was a result that went our way,” Ryman told Off The Park.
“After half-an-hour, we were 3-0 up but we knew there was a huge game going in our favour but to be pegged back 3-3 was demoralising, to find the winner in the 92nd minute was a fantastic way to win.
“It was unbelievable, they had one kicked off the line with the last kick of the game. If that went in, it would’ve been 4-4 so a real rollercoaster of emotions that day. There’s an old cliche in football, at the end of the season the league table doesn’t lie and thankfully, we scraped in there.”
It’s another away trip for South on Saturday as they look to book their place in the North West Counties to reach their highest level in over 40 years.
They take on Ashton Town who ran out 1-0 winners in their last meeting but Ryman says “anything can happen” with the club.
He added: “We’re South Liverpool and anything can happen. We’ve played the top four all away from home, drew with St Helens and Euxton and beaten Atherton and Ashton. Our away record is very good and we’re confident going away from home, I agree we were underdogs but that spurs us on even more. Luckily for us, we came out on top.
“We’re playing a very good side on Saturday who will start as favourites because they’re at home and finished higher in the table. We’re up against it, we’re underdogs again but we’re South Liverpool and when we’re in town anything can happen, hopefully the result goes our way.
“When you play these close games, we’ve had a good away record, our home record isn’t as good, they beat us 1-0 during the topsy-turvy time of ‘are we or aren’t we going to make the playoffs?’ and at the time, it was a massive kick in the teeth but we picked ourselves up against AFC Blackpool.”
