DESPITE being ‘gutted’ at going out, Borussia Martlesham can look back on their FA Sunday Cup campaign with pride.

That was how assistant manager Max Wilding summed up his side’s reaction to their exit in the quarter-finals of this season’s competition.

The Ipswich Sunday Football League Premier Division side lost 1-0 to St Joseph’s (Luton) at Leighton Town FC on Sunday.

The only goal of the game came after 10 minutes when a goal kick was returned over the visitors’ defence and the St Joseph’s striker finished well from the edge of the box.

Wilding said: “It was a really tight game with not many chances for either side and it could have gone either way, to be honest. They scored early and managed the game really well in fairness to them.

“We had two decent chances in the second-half – one that their keeper made a really good save from and another that went just wide of the post.”

After receiving a first-round bye, Borussia Martlesham had won three matches – all at home – to reach the last eight, where they faced the two-times winners.

Wilding said of his side being knocked out: “Obviously we’re gutted as a group, however we have to look back on it with real pride at what we’ve achieved considering we’d not even won a game in the competition before.

“The real takeaway is we’ve seen just how good we can be, and we’ve gone toe-to-toe with a team (St Joesph’s) who are rightly so a lot of people’s favourites to win the competition. We’ve got a young group of lads who are only going to get better from experiences like Sunday.”

Asked if Borussia Martlesham would enter next season’s competition, Wilding replied: “Of course, it was mentioned straight after the game.

“All the lads want to be back next year and have another crack at it, I think the run we’ve had will benefit us hugely. We’ve had four completely different games of football in the rounds and, in particular, the last round being 2-0 down at half time and coming back is something that we’ll be able to draw on.”

This season is the club’s tenth anniversary and Wilding summed up: “I am just really proud of the lads and the club; we’ve come a really long way in 10 years and we’ll only go from strength-to-strength.

“We’ve got some good younger lads coming through and three or four who will be back with us next season who have been unavailable for various reasons, so we should be really well equipped for next year.

“I’d also really like to thank everyone who has come and watched our games, we had around 50 or 60 supporters there on Sunday which is brilliant for an away game and also a special mention goes to Woodbridge Town FC where we play.

“They’ve been really accommodating with our fixtures, timings and the number of postponements we’ve had and have been first class in their hospitality.”

Borussia Martlesham (yellow shirts) are pictured above walking out alongside their opponents St Joseph’s (green shirts) at Leighton Town FC before their FA Sunday Cup Quarter-Final tie at the weekend.