IT is time for the current Clitheroe side to step out of the shadow of the 1996 FA Vase finalists.

That is the verdict of midfield general Andy Cowking, who says today's team will never be considered as good as the '96 side unless they get to the final themselves.

And that is the aim this season.

The Blues travel to Ryman League side Ware tomorrow looking for a place in the last 16 and they will be expecting to win after beating Arlesey, from the league above Ware, last season.

And they are under no illusions as to the expectation placed on them.

After reaching the quarter-finals last year and the semis the year before, this side is determined to go one better before the team is broken up.

This is virtually the same side that went out 8-4 on aggregate to Taunton in the semi-finals two years ago and the same players who went out to a killer last-minute goal against eventual winners Whitley Bay last year.

And with many coming towards the end of their careers, they know they have few years left to reach the final, which will be played this year at West Ham United's Upton Park.

"I don't know what it is about Clitheroe," said Cowking. "When I was at Bacup or Haslingden if we reached the last 132 or 64 we were doing cartwheels.

"But if we went out tomorrow in the last 32, we would be gutted. It wouldn't be an achievement."

Cowking is desperate for this side to become one the club's greatest and he thinks they need to win the Vase for that to happen.

"The team that got to the final in 1996 is always referred to by the older members of the committee," said the 30-year-old. "We are always in their shadow. No matter what our achievements, they got to the Vase final and we won't better that side until we do the same.

"They didn't do much in the league but they probably didn't care much about the league after they got to the Vase final!

"We are doing well in the league and this team is as good if not better than the '96 side but we may have to win the Vase to be seen that way."

And if that wasn't motivation enough, there are other reasons why this competition means so much to the team.

"Everyone is always up for it," he said. "In the week before all the training's geared up for it and the enthusiasm is infectious.

"And as we have done so well in the last two or three years and gone out in disappointing ways, we are easily motivated.

"In the changing room before a game people like Mark Stewart are really fired up. He has been knocked out in two semis and two quarter finals so you can imagine what it means to him. It is like his holy grail.

"This could be his last shot at it as well. There are quite a few of us who haven't got many years left. There's me, Lee Cryer, Gary Rishton and Scully. Scully and Psycho (Stewart) have seen a few more winters than me, though!"

In 2001, the Blues felt sure their name was on the cup but a 5-0 first-leg defeat at Taunton in the semi-finals put paid to that.

"At Taunton we wanted the ground to open up. Psycho got sent off - we were already 5-0 down but he took it hard. And then he gave away the free kick last year that led to Whitley Bay's winner so it would be especially nice to win it for him this year.

"To get knocked out by the team that went on to win it was really disappointing because we felt we would have won it that year if we'd gone through."

Player-boss Sculpher is '50-50' after a car accident last Saturday left him badly shaken.

And Stewart has been struggling with a stomach bug so he may miss the game.