PROMOTION must be Pickering Town’s goal next season, insists boss Jimmy Reid, after the club made history when winning the North Riding Senior Cup.

The Pikes boss was thrilled as his side swept aside Markse United 3-0 in Stokesley on Tuesday night – giving the Recreation Ground-based outfit the trophy for the first time in their 125 year history.

Reid hailed goals by former York City winger Liam Shepherd, top scorer Liam Salt and Joe Danby and said the next step was to challenge for league honours in the Northern Counties East League premier division.

Pickering, following a poor start to the campaign, are sixth in the table as the season enters its dying embers and Reid reckons, with a touch more consistency against the teams in the lower half of the table, a title challenge could be on the cards.

“It was unbelievable. 125 years – it’s like waiting for my chairman to buy a drink, it’s been that long,” Reid joked. “They had a couple of chances at 0-0, and our ’keeper Dave Bramley saved a couple, but we deserved to win 3-0. It is great for the club and great for the people who put the money in.

“There are four of us, including Steve Brown, Dean MacAuley and Simon Sturdy, and they have played their part all year. This was a chance to make history.”

Reid added: “We want promotion next year and we are going to sit down as a team and see where we are going.

“With two or three new players I don’t think we will be too far away from challenging. Hopefully there will be a bit more in the budget and we can push it a bit more and get off to a good start to the season.

“We know, with the team we have got, that we can beat anyone on the day but we just need there to be a bit more consistency. We have to adapt to the teams better when we play those towards the bottom.”

Pickering can overtake derby rivals Tadcaster Albion when they close their premier league season with a trip to Liversedge, while Selby Town end a fantastic second half of the season against Knaresborough at Flaxley Road in division one.

Harrogate Railway are at Mossley in Evo-Stik League division north one.