FA TROPHY SPECIAL: The pressure's all on Horsham, says long-serving Morris

CRAY WANDERERS’ defender, Dean Morris, 27, looks at two-time FA Trophy winner Colin Luckett as an inspiration - as the Kent club bid to cause an upset in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Wands go into their away FA Trophy tie against Ryman Premier League side Horsham sitting in fourth place in the Ryman League Division One South table, following a mixed three days.

They played against Hornets’ landlords, Worthing, last Saturday, and went down to a 4-1 defeat, but Cray Wanderers immediately bounced back to seal a 3-1 victory over a new-look Folkestone Invicta side at Hayes Lane last night.

Morris, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, revealed Ian Jenkins (manager) and Joe Francis (coach) are good at motivating players when things go wrong.

“It’s been a bit of a strange atmosphere after Saturday, there was a strange feel about the place,” said the former Gillingham, Billericay Town and Barking man.

“It didn’t really happen for us Saturday (against Horsham) and Joe and Jenko got us up for the Folkestone game and everyone was really up for it on Tuesday and it was a good performance.

"We worked harder Tuesday as a team really, off the ball, and it just seemed to happen for us on the ball. We passed the ball a lot better.

“Something that Joe says you get another game to redeem yourself. It was good that we had a proper game against Folkestone, who were second. It was good to play against a big club. I know they’ve got their problems, but they’re a good side.”

Morris, who joined the club back in August 2004, believes lightening will not strike twice in the space of seven days at Woodside Road and that the Kent club will be in the draw for the final qualifying round.

“It’s a completely different game, it’s a cup game to start with,” said Morris.

“We’re the lower league club so the pressure’s on them. Everyone expects them to beat us.

“In the past we’ve always done well against the bigger clubs across the years.”

Morris (201 appearances) has now joined an elite group of Cray players, joining striker, Jamie Wood (403) and midfield playmaker, Jamie Kempster (216) as loyal servants to the Hayes Lane club.

And he believes it’s important to have a backbone of players who know Jenkins’ and Francis’ style.

“We’ve got a good backbone of players who have been at the club for a number of years, we all know what Jenko and Joe want from us,” said Morris.

“It’s good for consistency that players work with the same ethic that Jenko and Joe put out.

“There’s been a togetherness of all the players, we’re friends as well as team mates on and off the park.

“Generally we work hard as a team and we’ve got players in the squad who can create and score goals.

“The backbone is to work hard and we’ve got players to create chances. We’ve got a good atmosphere and everyone buys into that when they join.”

The Kentish Football Family loved their BIG DAY OUT at Wembley Stadium in May, watching Kent heroes Ebbsfleet United lift the FA Trophy, defeating favourites Torquay United 1-0.

But Cray Wanderers’ left-back, Luckett, had already lived that dream twice, before the likes of Fleet’s heroes, Lance Cronin, Stacy Long and Luke Moore, as he played a major part in Kingstonian’s successes in 1999 and 2000.

And Morris said: “Colin Luckett’s been there twice, he’s mentioned it and Jenko brings it up when we’re in the FA Trophy.

“The (prize) money, with the way everything is, comes in very handy. The chairman’s thinking about those lines.

“The chance to play against better clubs and better players and test ourselves (is what we’re looking for).

“We’re playing Ryman Premier League (Horsham) and (we want to) give a good account for ourselves and get a Conference club, have a good away game and have a go there.”

Despite their Wembley glories, the K’s have suffered in recent years, but the Surrey giants are bidding to clinch promotion this term.

They remain unbeaten in 12 league games, with nine wins and three draws, and are six points clear of fourth-placed Wands.

Morris, meanwhile, looks to their two bank holiday games against Kingstonian as make or break games for the promotion chasing Kent club.

“There’s a number of clubs in our league who are a much of a muchness, similar on an even keel, it’s how you turn up and play on the day,” he said.

“We’re confident that we can peg that (six point gap) over the coming weeks and the important thing is we’ve got to play them twice.

“They’re not too far in front and there’s a long way to go. The winter months (when) the games are called off, that will be a testing time for everyone.”

And Chislehurst resident Morris reminded supporters of the rigours of being a semi-professional football, working as a quality surveyor for an air conditioning company in nearby Sidcup.

“They think it’s jolly-up and a game of football,” he said. “You get up at half-six and at work at half-seven, do a day’s job and (when you) go to Burgess Hill on a Tuesday night, get a wrong result, get home at half-eleven, it’s a chore but that is non-league football.”

Meanwhile, Cray Wanderers officials would like to warn their supporters that any replay will take place at Hayes Lane next MONDAY, 3rd November (7:45pm).

Visit Cray Wanderers’ website:  www.craywands.co.uk

Horsham v Cray Wanderers
FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 1^st November 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Woodside Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7HQ