The gaffer ahead of Thursday's clash...
Graham Westley and his men have a big few days ahead as they look to pick up two sets of positive results within a few days, as they face Maidstone in the FA Cup on Thursday night, before heading to Northampton on Saturday in the league.
With such a short turn around in-between games, the gaffer will need to utilise his growing squad and preparations have gone well so far.
“It’s gone as well as we would have hoped. We have got one or two that are testing at the moment in relation to their fitness but we’re in a determined mood. It’s not good from our point of view to have the replay, there’s obviously a lot of shame attached to us getting the draw, but I think the people that are casting that shadow are misunderstanding the job that we had to do in the first place. These were a decent outfit with some good quality players and it was always going to be a tough nut to crack.
“We don’t expect them to present us with a second round place on a plate, we know we’re going to have to go there and earn it but we’re determined to make sure we do force our way into the second round.”
Having had the experience of playing against them just a few weeks prior, GW believes it’ll be of benefit to the players.
“The lads have all played against their opponents, they know what to expect. They know what they are and what they aren’t. That just settles down your understanding of the game a bit more. You know what their strengths are in the flesh rather than just preparatory work on video. I think the lads will have a much better understanding of what they’re up against and that can only help.”
When asked about the difficulties that two games in three days brings, he made it clear that there is only one game on the mind of everyone in the camp.
“They haven’t got to worry about that, they have got to worry about playing tomorrow night. They have got to get their focus and their mind on winning that game. That’s the key; it’s the important game, it’s the next game, it’s the one that is going to win our place into the second round of the cup. The second round of the cup is a really important place for us to be. It’s a great opportunity for us to show what we’re all about in terms of strength of character and when we walk out of the stadium tomorrow night and if we bank that second round place which is our aim, then we can start worrying about other things.”
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