Albion Sports’ FA Cup run came to an end last Saturday but manager Kulwinder Sandhu is positive that his club’s season is not about to unravel.

Their 3-0 defeat at Marske United came just days after they were humbled at home by neighbours Thackley in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division.

The Dennyboys ran out 5-1 victors at Sports’ rented home Throstle Nest a week last Tuesday to inflict a first loss this season.

Before the derby, both Albion and Thackley had made 100 per cent starts to their league campaign.

Sandhu said: “I always tell it like it is because you are just kidding yourself if you’re not honest.

“We played well at Marske and they are a very good side.

“I thought we were in the game for the first hour but once we went behind it fell apart.

“In cup football, you have to chase the game if you’re behind in the later stages, and because we did that gaps started to appear at the back.

“It looks like a hammering, 3-0, but I was very proud of the lads in that game.

“Marske were unbeaten and top of the Northern League, which is a very strong league.”

It was Albion’s first foray into the FA Cup as they have only been on the football pyramid for three seasons.

It lasted just three games, one of which was a replay, but the club banked £3,425 in prize-money alone and put themselves on the football map.

Sandhu added: “We took a lot of positives from the Marske game. We did really well despite the result.

“We were never going to win the FA Cup but the publicity the club got for being in it and winning through to the first-qualifying round means a lot.

“It isn’t about the money, and I was more disappointed at the Thackley defeat.

“We want to be challenging at the top of the league because we are in that division on merit, so to lose like that hurt.

“But we will come back from that. It has been a good start to the season and our players have stood up to the test since getting promoted.

“If we play like we did for 60 minutes at Marske, we will win a lot more games this season.”