Brig eye Trophy tonic to kick-start new year
Bamber Bridge will be hoping to repeat the exploits of arguably their most memorable night last season in order to kick-start their fortunes in 2025.
Jamie Milligan’s men enjoyed a terrific 3-1 success over National League North outfit Southport last year in the semi-final of the LFA Challenge Trophy at Darwen’s Anchor Ground.
The two sides meet once again in the competition, this time at Port’s Haig Avenue home at the quarter-final stage.
Brig – whose scheduled NPL Premier Division clash against Workington at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium on Saturday was postponed due to a frozen pitch – have lost their opening two games of the new year.
Indeed, it is exactly a month since they last tasted victory when they defeated Hebburn Town 2-1 at home.
Since then, they have lost four in a five-game winless run and have slipped to 18th in the table, just two points above the drop zone.
Milligan will be hoping a positive result this evening against their high-league opponents will not only see them through to the last-four of the Trophy, but help them find form in the league, with a trip to Stockton to come this weekend.
It certainly won’t be easy against the Sandgrounders, who are managed by former Morecambe and AFC Fylde boss Jim Bentley.
Port sit in a respectable 15th spot in the NL North and proven to be hard to break down in recent weeks.
"I think we beat them at the semi-final stage last season and it’s a cup that we got to the final of,” said Milligan.
"I think a couple of years ago, we got to the final of it as well but because of the secretary (administration) error we got pulled out of it.
"It’s a game that we want try to win and get to the semi-final again.
"I think their last three or four games