The FA Cup is always a special occasion and hopefully we can start a run, says VCD Athletic boss Nick Davis

VCD ATHLETIC manager Nick Davis says he wants to bring some long-awaited FA Cup cheer to the Crayford-based club.

The Vickers travel to Raynes Park Vale in The FA Cup Preliminary Round tomorrow, hoping to avoid slipping over a potential banana skin in south-west London.

Raynes Park Vale are in fifth-place in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League having won both of their league games, thrashing Camberley Town 7-0 and Molesey by two goals to nil.

Raynes Park Vale came away from Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division side Fisher with a single goal victory in the Extra Preliminary Round.

VCD Athletic kicked-off their Isthmian League South East Division campaign with an impressive 3-0 win at Chichester City last weekend and are in third place in the pecking order after 90 minutes of football.

VCD Athletic suffered a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of their league rivals Cray Valley (Paper Mills) at this stage of The FA Cup last season and in 2019-20 they reached the First Qualifying Round before losing 2-1 at home to Moneyfields.

They got there by beating AFC Uckfield Town on penalties in a Preliminary Round Replay but their FA Cup record in recent years has been poor with three exits at this stage of the competition in the last four seasons.

Ricky Bennett guided VCD Athletic to the Second Qualifying Round back in 2011, losing to then Conference South side Thurrock 1-0 in a Replay, and in 2016 VCD Athletic went down to a 2-1 defeat at Egham Town in the Second Qualifying Round too.

But the former Sittingbourne and Ramsgate manager wants to get into the First Qualifying Round.

“We’re away from home against Raynes Park and we envisage a tough game against a team thus far have yet to concede a goal in their opening three games,” said Davis.

“We had them watched against Fisher a couple of weeks back now and they are well organised and have a decent core of experience within their side and it will be a tough game.

“The FA Cup is always a special occasion and in recent history speaking with the board at VCD they have only progressed a couple of times from this stage in the last decade I’m led to believe, so hopefully we can start a run.

“If we play to 80% as we did last week at Chichester then we’ll win but it’s The FA Cup and anything can happen."

Davis, meanwhile, revealed that skipper Lea Dawson is recovering from a broken arm and is expected to be back "by the middle of next month."

Raynes Park Vale  v  VCD Athletic
The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
Saturday 21 August 2021
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Grand Drive, Raynes Park, London SW20 9DZ