SHAWBURY United manager Dave Richards is looking forward to putting his side’s relegation battle on hold for a big cup game next week.

United host high-flying Haughmond in the West Midlands Premier this Saturday but Richards has one eye on next Tuesday’s Shropshire Premier Cup quarter-final at St Martin’s.

Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Bewdley Town – a fourth loss on the spin – kept Shawbury fifth-bottom in the league and Richards hopes the cup will offer some respite.

He said: “The county cup looks like our last chance of putting a bit of happiness back in the season so we have to focus on trying to reach the next round.

“It’s definitely a competition we want to do well in. If we can stay away from Haughmond in the draw, we have a chance of getting through to the final.

United finished the game at Bewdley with ten men after Tom Horton’s red card and while Richards felt they were unlucky to lose, he knows they desperately need points.

He added: “It was an improved performance and Bewdley’s manager said we were unlucky not to get anything from the game, but we are running out of games.”