I loved the FA Vase as a player and it would be nice to have a good run in it, says Croydon boss Liam Giles

CROYDON manager Liam Giles says he is looking forward to seeing how his side competes against a higher league side tomorrow.

The Trams travel to Broadbridge Heath tomorrow to contest a FA Vase First Qualifying Round tie.

Croydon remain proudly at the summit of the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table, having won six games and drawn one of their eight league games and are two points clear of Stansfeld, who have a game in hand.

Broadbridge Heath kick-off their FA Vase campaign while sitting in eleventh-place in the Southern Combination League Premier Division table, having banked 10 points from their six league outings.

“The Vase is a nice distraction away from the league and is almost a free hit for us,” said Giles.

“I really do enjoy the competition. I loved it as a player and it would be nice to have a good run in it. However, our bread and butter is the league and that remains our main focus.

“I don’t know much about Broadbridge Heath.  They are a step above us so it will be nice to see how we match up to a Step Five side.

“We would like to get the job done in 90 minutes and try and steer club of the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.”

Croydon beat Rochester United 3-2 at the Croydon Sports Arena last weekend, although Giles revealed it came at a cost player-wise.

“We still sit top of the table, albeit playing the most games. We will look to keep winning games of football but are only looking one game at a time. We must stay focused,” said Giles.

“We are coming off the back of a 3-2 win against Rochester, a game which we made real hard work of.

“It was a very physical game where we have picked up two injuries and a suspension. We have nine unavailable tomorrow, five through injury.  However, we have had five out for one reason or another for the last four weeks.

“We have good depth within the squad, so I am still confident of getting a result tomorrow.

“We also have to be mindful that we play again at Westside on Wednesday, which for me is a more important game.”

Broadbridge Heath  v  Croydon
The Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Saturday 11 September 2021
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Wickhurst Lane, Broadbridge Heath, West Sussex RH12 3YS