Shaw Lane AFC and Penistone Church are looking forward to their all-Barnsley Sheffield Senior Cup semi-final, by which time they hope to both be closing in on promotion in their leagues.

The two clubs are due to play at Shaw Lane in late March for a place in the final at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane. While Penistone have never got past the last four, Shaw Lane reached the final last season but withdrew because it was the night before their play-off semi-final which they won before losing the final.

The Ducks – who remain top of Evo-Stik Division One South despite not playing for two weeks – are hoping to avoid the play-offs this season and double up with a cup win. Shaw Lane manager Craig Elliott said: "It will be a tough semi-final.  Penistone are doing really well in their league and they have got a good young manager who has built the club up in recent years.

"The cup is a big priority for us. We were hard done by last year after working so hard to get to the final.  It's a cup we have never won so we'd love to make a bit of history.

"Hopefully, by the time the game comes, around we are in an even stronger position in the league and we can really focus on the semi-final."

Penistone manager Ian Richards added: "It's a brilliant draw and the game should be a great advert for non-league football in Barnsley.  Shaw Lane are the top team in our area so it is a fantastic opportunity for us to challenge ourselves against them.

"I believe some of my players are good enough for Evo-Stik level and we will try to cause an upset. We haven't played Shaw Lane since both clubs were in the County Senior League, and they won the title at our ground. But both clubs have come a long way since then.

"Hopefully we are in the top two in our league by the time we play them."

Penistone suffered a disappointing 2-0 home loss to title rivals Pontefract Collieries in the Northern Counties East League Division One. After a 29-match unbeaten run in the league from January to November of last year, including the first 17 games of this season, they have lost four of their last 13 matches. They are now fourth after topping the table for many months.

Church were helped by a shock loss for leaders AFC Emley – their third defeat in five games – at 15th-placed Brigg Town, who Church play tomorrow. Emley, who have played two more games than Penistone and other clubs in the title race, are two points clear at the top. Church are five behind Emley and three off the other automatic promotion place, but ten clear of the sides outside the play-offs.

Richards, whose side had beaten Hallam in extra-time in the Sheffield Cup quarter-final three days earlier, said: "It was a combination of tiredness from Wednesday and self-inflicted mistakes. It was a game too far in a short space of time. We edged a scrappy first half but lacked a bit of quality. We tired in the second half and should have done better with both the goals.

"Thank you to the 200 plus that came to watch. It's getting a bit frustrating that, when we get big crowds, we don't quite put on the performance that we want to. But we appreciate the community getting behind us and it always makes it a good atmosphere.

"The results around us were positive so it's still in our hands with 12 games to play. There is a lot of football remaining and we just need to make sure we get on another good run of form. We have still lost the fewest games of all the teams in the division.

"I am still confident of promotion. I am not ruling out winning the league and we will aim for that until it is not mathematically possible.  Then we will focus on second place and, if that is no longer possible, we will aim to win the play-offs."

Meanwhile, Shaw Lane are six points clear in the one promotion place in their league on a run of 13 wins and a draw from their last 14 matches. But, after the last two games were called off due to a waterlogged pitch, Elliott is worried about the playing surface which they share with Barnsley Rugby Union Club and which has seen many postponements in recent years.

Elliott said: "It's massively disappointing. The pitch cost us promotion last season and I hope the same doesn't happen this time. We've only had two games called off so I am not panicking yet. But it's not ideal and, by all accounts, the pitch is in bad condition now after being really good earlier in the season.  Hopefully it is just a little blip with some bad weather and the rugby team playing on it."