New Salamis assistant on Sunday Cup: 'Win it for Cyprus'

New Salamis’ assistant boss Rob Pattwell has urged his side to win The FA Sunday Cup to thank the club’s founding members and their fans from Cyprus.

The north London outfit will take on Barnes, the 2013 Finalists from the opposite side of the capital, in Sunday football’s national showpiece.

New Salamis knocked Barnes out of last season’s competition on their way to the semi-finals – and Pattwell wants his side to take that extra step and lift the trophy at Selhurst Park.

He said: “This is a massive occasion for us, not just the players and us as coaching staff, but for the 150 or so fans travelling over from Cyprus, and the directors from our parent club Nea Salamis Famagusta FC.

“It is an opportunity for us to pay tribute to those who founded us in 1971, and our hard-working committee based here in London.

“Myself and the manager [George Georgiou], have been at the club for two years and we were encouraged to have reached the semi-finals of this competition last season.

“We were determined to go one better this time around, and so we brought in more experience and knowhow in order to match the quality of teams you tend to face at this stage.”

Pattwell paid tribute to his players for the quality and dedication they have displayed this season.

The New Salamis squad is a mix of former academy players and non-League hopefuls, but they have come together to earn a place in a national final.

He added: “Some of our players have been released by professional clubs while many play on Saturday in non-League, and their commitment to us has been quite outstanding.

“We also have players who just play Sundays and have improved both mentally and physically along this journey and what an achievement for them.

“For everyone to get this far at a national level and receive such plaudits is testament to the hard work.

“The players are under no illusions of the magnitude of this occasion, and victory can be the icing on the cake for all their efforts.”