ROSS Speight hopes Middlewich Town’s players are motivated to make history when they resume their Cheshire FA Amateur Cup campaign.

A home date with Dukinfield, from the Manchester League’s Premier Division, represents a chance to reach the semi-finals for the first time since the club was formed two decades ago.

“This club has enjoyed a lot of success down the years,” said the co-manager.

“That means an opportunity to write a new chapter in its history doesn’t present itself often.

“We reached this stage a couple of seasons ago and lost [to Sandbach United], which is why I feel as though we’ve unfinished business yet.”

The Witches will need to improve on performances in back-to-back defeats against Pilkington and Windle Labour either side of Christmas.

They have slipped from the Cheshire League One summit, to third place, as a result.

Speight said: “Our display last weekend was bitterly disappointing, probably one of the worst in my time here.

“We let the lads know it too.

“However they haven’t done a lot wrong this season and so we don’t want to be too hard on them.

“It was a warning though that we can’t drop our standards, and we’ll be going back to basics in training to put things right.”

Town will be boosted on Saturday by the return of defender Dean Burgess following an ankle injury, but midfield duo Alex Burns and Sam O’Sullivan (both knee) are long-term absentees.

Speight told the Guardian that Middlewich are hoping to complete the signing of an attacker too.

He added: “As a management team we’ve been loyal to this group because we believe in having a settled side.

“We’ve added somebody here and there, nothing more.

“It’s something we’ll consider though if it reduces the risk of undoing the good work we’ve done.”

Kick-off on Saturday is 1.30pm.