Reds boss warns of challenge to come (From Knutsford Guardian)

Reds boss warns of challenge to come

4:00pm Thursday 31st May 2012 in Sport

KNUTSFORD manager Paul Schofield says his team will have to work even harder next season to defend their Cheshire League crown.

Reds were presented with the Division One trophy last weekend after ending a near two-decades wait for a second title.

The challenge now is to win it again.

“Why not?” said Schofield.

“It’s a young group, so hopefully they will have the same commitment and desire to be successful next season.

“We’ll have a go, that’s for sure.”

He admits that it is rare for a team to win back-to-back titles; Middlewich Town were the last team to manage it in 2007.

Before that, Barnton at the turn of the century.

Schofield added: “The standard has improved at this level, so it’s a difficult competition to win.

“There’s always a concern too that clubs from a higher league will want to sign your players after you’ve had success.

“We learned to cope though and achieved what we did even after my son Tom went to Witton and we lost our top scorer Liam Myers to injury.”

Those that stood in became stars, midfielder Dean Warburton winning the Cheshire League Player of the Year award for the second successive season.

“It’s a fantastic achievement for both Dean and the club,” said chairman Jimmy Evans.

“To be voted best player in a team of top players two years in a row takes some doing, though it’s interesting he was runner-up in voting by his own teammates!”

Knutsford dished out their end of season awards following Saturday’s annual Pat Ramsammy Memorial Match at Manchester Road.

Goalkeeper Mark Higgs took the Players’ Player of the Year prize, while Joel Wilbraham scooped the Dave Carsberg Young Player award.

Tom Rutter and Clive Hampshire were top scorers for the first and A team respectively.

Jordan Gunter shared the Clubman of the Year trophy with Higgs, while Scott Beattie took the honours for A team Players’ Player of the Year.