I hope my team perform two games in a row, says Croydon boss Dickson Gill

CROYDON manager Dickson Gill says he wants his side to take last night’s performance into Saturday’s FA Vase tie against Phoenix Sports.

The Trams will entertain Ryman League Division One South leaders Burgess Hill Town in The FA Cup First Qualifying Round on 13 September after beating Epsom & Ewell 4-1 in last night’s replay at the Croydon Sports Arena.

After an even goal-less first half, all five goals came during an explosive 23 minute spell.

The Salts took the lead through a fine strike from Ali Dewar, but The Trams equalised just 49 seconds later through Lauris Chin’s tap-in.

Gill’s side romped towards the victory with goals coming from Tristan Toney, Steven Cox and man-of-the-match Ben Mankelow.

Croydon have scooped £3,425 in prize money following their FA Cup wins over Arundel and Epsom & Ewell and there’s another £600 up for grabs when Steve O’Boyle brings his Phoenix Sports side to the Arena.

Phoenix are in second-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table with 13 points from five games and are unbeaten in the league.

Croydon, meanwhile, are in seventh-place with seven points from five games.

“I’ve been told they’re a very, very good side and I don’t know what you call a very, very good side because I looked at us last night and I thought we was a very, very good side,” said Gill.

“It’s just on the day really, go out and perform.

“It’s very difficult to get non-league players who go to work and have got families and other problems to perform two games in a row. It just don’t happen. I hope it does!”

Gill revealed last night that the prize money from the cup runs will go towards paying the club’s £5,000 rent to Croydon council and a set of tracksuits for the players.

The Croydon chief also said that “it would be nice to get more” people through the turnstiles to watch his side in action.

Fans can get a chance to do that on Saturday and next Wednesday, when their nearest rivals, Beckenham Town, visit Croydon Sports Arena.

“They always come here and thump up unfortunately, but maybe we might turn it around this time,” Gill said of Jason Huntley’s Beckenham.

Reflecting on their league campaign, Gill said: “We had a little blip. We won a couple of games and we had a lot of players away injured and then we just lost two games to the bottom teams (Lingfield and Fisher).

“I’m not being disrespectful to them. On the day they beat us comfortably. They could have beaten us by more but I don’t think they’ll come down here and beat us now, not like that.  We’ll give them a better game than we did last time.”

Visit Croydon’s website: www.croydonfc.com

Croydon  v  Phoenix Sports
The FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Saturday 6^th September 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Croydon Sports Arena, Albert Road, London SE25 4QL