FA CUP SPECIAL: McCarthy: The youngsters want success - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Thursday 26th October 2006

Gravesend & Northfleet aim to reach the FA Cup first round proper for the 15^th time in their history at Ryman Premier League side Chelmsford City on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Essex side are still smarting following their spot of bother of their FA Trophy elimination by Kent side Maidstone United last weekend.

But Fleet skipper Paul McCarthy admitted that he is expecting a very tough game at Melbourne Park.

“They’re a good side, got a lot of decent players there,” he said in an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“A lot of the lads the manager brought from Canvey Island. They’re at home, which is obviously a big advantage, so we’re expecting a very difficult game.”

But McCarthy feels their full-time Nationwide Conference status will see the north Kent side through to the first round for the first time since Notts County knocked the club out of the second round in season 2003-04.

The club have since been dumped out of the fourth qualifying round by Hornchuch and Paul Gascoigne’s Kettering Town in the past two seasons.

“We’re going to expect to progress in the Cup,” McCarthy insists. “We haven’t done it as a club for a while, which in this day and age is a big financial benefit to the club to get through to the first round proper, so that’s what we’re aiming for.”

After their shocking performance which saw Stafford Rangers grab a 4-1 win at Stonebridge Road, McCarthy was pleased that his team-mates bounced back by scoring the only goal of the game against Burton Albion and Woking to climb into fourth place in the table.

“We had the disappointment of a bad performance against Stafford at home, where probably for the first time this season we didn’t perform as a team and there were too many individuals have off-days,” McCarthy recalled.

”But we bounced back with two very important 1-0 victories away to Burton and at home to Woking, who are two decent sides with big budgets.

“We’re really pleased with how it’s going so far but the FA Cup is vitally important for us to get through.”

But despite their flying start to their Conference campaign, crowds at Stonebridge Road have been disappointing.

And the central defender praised manager Liam Daish for getting the best out of his young team.

He said: “It’s all down to the manager, he’s done a terrific job. We turned up at pre-season, there was, I think, 7 contracted players with 40 odd trialists and from that he’s managed to pick out individuals and shape them into playing a style of football, which he enjoys, and we’ve been playing some nice stuff at times this year.

“I think it was a fair criticism directed at us last year of being a route-one side but we’ve got footballers in our side and all credit goes to the manager.”

But can the Fleet, Kent’s highest ranked non-league football club, gain promotion into the Football League?

”It’s very early yet,” replied McCarthy. “We need to keep all our key players fit.

“Overall we haven’t got the strength in depth that other clubs have got but as long as we battle hard for each other, that’s what the manager asks.”

But McCarthy warns crowds at Stonebridge Road must increase if the club are to keep vital faces.

“Ultimately if the support doesn’t increase, if we don’t get more people in the gate, we won’t be able to challenge in the Conference,” he said.

“We’ll end up losing all our good young players because we won’t be able to afford to keep them and we’re going to lose our good young manager because he wants to be up there competing.

“I’m sure people are looking at what he’s achieved at Gravesend and it’s important that locals come and support us to give him more money to strengthen the squad when we need it.

“Overall we’ve got a good team spirit, which is important and we’ve got young players who are hungry for success to get into the League and hopefully they can get there with Gravesend.”

Meanwhile, the Fleet welcome Gillingham in the first round proper of the FA Women’s Cup at the club’s training base at Fleet Leisure, Nelson Road on Sunday (1pm).

”This competition has been good for the ladies team this year, flying through their three qualifying rounds,” said Tina Martin.

“Gillingham ladies play their football a division higher than the Fleet, so it will be a tough test for the team, who are looking forward to the challenging match.”

Visit Gravesend & Northfleet’s website: www.gnfc.co.uk

Chelmsford City v Gravesend & Northfleet
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Fourth Qualifying Round
Saturday 28th October 2006
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Chelmsford Sport and Athletics Centre, Salerno Way, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 2EH