The significance of the competition may have diminished into merely an afterthought for those nicely perched in the upper echelons of the English game, but for sides like ourselves the FA Cup has the potential to be massive. Magical moments lasting a split second can be remembered for decades and sometimes even keep teams afloat in an era where the gap between the rich and poor seems to be widening to an alarming extent.
Our last successful run took us to Everton for a day that epitomised the rewarding nature of the competition, however since then we've barely remained in it long enough to dream of another experience of that magnitude. We've managed to make the first round - which was once our automatic entry point in our Football League days - once since relegation to the National League, losing out to FC Halifax Town, Leyton Orient and Boreham Wood respectively. Last year we witnessed a small dose of FA Cup magic as our dramatic stoppage-time comeback at Boreham Wood earned us a replay that seemed improbable at best, however that soon wore off as it only extended our run in the competition by a mere three days. However, this time out there's a little more confidence after manager Peter Taylor, speaking at the recent Fans' Forum, guaranteed we would be treating the FA Cup with the utmost importance. Most people listening to the draw a couple of weeks ago would've been hoping to be paired with a lesser-ranked opponent, however that doesn't mean we can afford to underestimate Carshalton today. After all, in recent years our clashes against sides of a similar ilk paint a fairly solemn picture, with notable defeats to Hereford and Worthing reinforcing how we can't afford to treat them more leniently than any other National League opponent. Carshalton are going to be hugely motivated for today's game, such is the prospect of a potential trip to Sunderland or Ipswich in Round 1. As we should know ourselves having frequently adopted the tag of 'underdog' in our 27-year history, they're going to have an extra yard of pace, an extra dose of strength and an extra decibel of noise from their supporters. We're only a relatively small club ourselves, but are still a huge upgrade compared to the usual calibre of opposition to visit their Colston Avenue ground, Horsham, Folkestone, Hornchurch etc, We need to be professional - we're a full-time team with a significantly larger budget and aspirations for a Football League return. Of course, this is the FA Cup and anything can happen as we're so often told. We're expected to win the game, but conversely that means Carshalton have nothing to lose. So let's not be a news' story tonight - whether scruffily or convincingly, let's make sure we're in that hat for Monday's first round draw. Up the Dags!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
WRITERArchives
January 2024
|