First-team coach Dave “Dabba” Hewson has encouraged Penrith AFC’s players to tonight prove their much-needed home win against Whickham was not “a flash in the pan” as they visit Bishop Auckland.

Having claimed a 2-1 success which moved the Bonny Blues off the bottom of the Northern League, Division One table, Andy Coyles’ men will look to end their Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup campaign in style this evening at Heritage Park (7.45pm kick-off).

Penrith already know they cannot progress to the knockout stages in the League Cup, but a win against the Two Blues could see the Cumbrians move off the foot of the Group G table.

The Bonny Blues will come into the clash on the back of a hard-fought win over Whickham on Saturday. Shaun Gardner broke the deadlock in style, before Carl Finnigan levelled for the visitors on the half-hour mark.

With Penrith keeper Stuart Forrester clearly struggling with a knock in the second half, they were up against it, but, nevertheless, it was Penrith who scored the all-important third goal as Martyn Coleman kept his cool to find the net.

"It was a huge result, a great performance and a massive three points for us. I thought it was thoroughly deserved," said Hewson.

"We have just spoken to the players, and it’s a very buoyant dressing room for the first time in a long time, and we told them to enjoy it because they worked so hard, and they got their just rewards.

"But it’s about taking that forward now. It can’t be a flash in the pan.

"They have to play with that intensity and that desire every single week."

Former Workington Reds joint boss Hewson, who reserved special praise for 16-year-old defender James Metcalfe and keeper Forrester, said: “We knew our players and our squad were capable of a performance like that.

“They [Whickham] are a good side, no doubt about it. They have some very good players and they are a very organised side but, on our day, we have proved that we can mix it with anyone.

“So, consistency is the key. We won’t get carried away with the performance at all, but we’ll use this as our benchmark, and we tell the player that’s what we demand every single week."