All the odds are stacked against us - but it's The FA Cup and you see shocks all the time, says Corinthian manager Michael Golding

CORINTHIAN manager Michael Golding says he is feeling like it’s his birthday, ahead of the club’s third FA Cup Second Qualifying Round tie tomorrow.

The Longfield based outfit go into their trip to Ashford United as underdogs but they came away from Rusthall with a 4-3 win on Tuesday night and are in eighth-place in the ninth-tier Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table, having picked up 10 points (three wins, one draw) from their six league games.

Corinthian in The FA Cup Second Qualifying Round:

Season 1993-1994 - Away - Molesey L0-2
Season 2020-2021 - Home - Hampton & Richmond Borough L0-1

Corinthian have beaten AFC Whyteleafe (2-0), Camberley Town (3-1) and their league rivals Punjab United (1-0) to reach this stage of The FA Cup for the very first time.

Hosts Ashford United suffered a 4-0 defeat away to title-favourites Ramsgate in the Isthmian League South East Division on Tuesday night, which leaves them in the bottom five of the eighth-tier division, having picked up two draws from their first four outings.

Danny Kedwell’s side have beaten Harrow Borough (3-1 after a 1-1 draw away from home) and their league rivals Three Bridges (6-1) to reach the Second Qualifying Round, which is three more wins away from the First Round when EFL League One and League Two sides enter the competition.

“Ashford are a really experienced side, predicted to go really, really well at Step Four, so we’ll go there as underdogs and that’s exactly what we are,” said Golding, who performs miracles to put out a competitive team despite not working with a playing budget.

“We’ll come up with a plan and then we’ll see what Saturday brings but we’ll go there and enjoy it.

“It’s almost like the night before your birthday isn’t it, like you’re going their excited.

“You want to play in The FA Cup.  We tell the boys at the start of the year it's the Best Cup Competition in the World – you want to play in it.

“We underperformed in the Vase so it’s an opportunity to put a little bit more money in the club’s coffers and try to get through.

“You’ve seen Lordswood v Sittingbourne on BBC (tomorrow, kicking off at 12:30), what a great experience for those guys there and why can’t it be us if we can get through.

“All the odds are stacked against us but they probably have been for 90% of my management career at Corinthian over the last 10 years, so it will be no different on Saturday.

“We’ll go there, no one will expect us to win – but it’s The FA Cup and you see shocks all the time. If form pays true, they’ll beat us but who knows, it’s The FA Cup!”

Ashford United  v  Corinthian
The Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 14 September 2024
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Homelands Stadium, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ