We’ve got to be right on it because we’ll be playing against players who will be playing at eight’s, nines and ten’s, especially in The FA Vase, says Crowborough Athletic boss Sean Muggeridge

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC manager Sean Muggeridge says his players’ have to be right at it against lower league opposition in The FA Vase First Round on Saturday.

 

The Crows are now in ninth-place in the Southern Combination League Premier Division table with 22 points on the board from their 13 league games following their 2-0 home win over Bexhill-on-Sea based side Little Common last night.

Winger Harvey Killick capped off an impressive night by scoring with a drilled 25-yarder into the top corner, before setting up Lucas Murrain to score his sixth goal of the season.

Crowborough Athletic welcome Hampshire based Eversley & California to Alderbrook, a side that are in ninth-place in the Combined Counties League First Division with five wins and five defeats from their 11 league games, scoring 24, shipping in 23 goals.

“It’s going to be a ripper of a game, I think,” said Muggeridge.

“I’m well known for scoring a lot of goals but I’m also known for conceding quite a lot in the teams I have.

“This year, it’s been a little bit different.  We haven’t scored as many (19 in 11 league games) and we’re not conceding as many (15), so we’re trying to stop goals going in but we’re not scoring as many.

“I do worry about lower league sides.  We played Hailsham here (in the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup, winning 1-0 last Tuesday) and they fought us all of the way and we were quite lucky to win that game, so it’s all about your mentality.

“If my players’ are right on it, you know what it’s like when lower teams play higher teams, they give it their all, so we’ve got to be right on it because we’ll be playing against players who will be playing at eight’s, nine’s and ten’s, especially in The FA Vase.

“I’m expecting a very, very difficult game.”

The FA Vase is a great competition for club’s that play in the ninth and tenth tiers of English football, with Sussex side Littlehampton Town reaching the Wembley Final last season and now playing Isthmian League South East Division football for the first time this season.

“It’s a competition I have gone far in, Littlehampton got in the Final last year.   You do need to have some luck, a lot of luck and you have to have good days all of the time in that.

“Everyone dreams about it, you can’t play anyone higher so if we can get through this stage…”

Visit Crowborough Athletic’s website:  www.crowboroughathletic.com

Crowborough Athletic  v  Eversley & California
The Isuzu FA Vase First Round
Saturday 22 October 2022
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Crowborough Community Stadium, Fermor Road, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 3FY