Post by OAP on Sept 29, 2015 17:11:04 GMT
A home tie would have suited us much better but at least we have been given a tie that does give us a chance to keep the cup run going. Didcot will obviously be difficult opponents because there are no easy games at this stage and all non league clubs intend making as much as they can. The £7,500 for the winners of this round will solve a lot of problems for several clubs. We have played Didcot before when they beat us 4-2 about twelve years ago and Eastbourne United played them every season back in their Metropolitan League days. This was during the reign of Ron Greenwood, George Smith and Jack Mansell when the two clubs were vying with each other to finish the highest of the amateur clubs in a league dominated by professional sides.
The Evo-Stick league that they are in is equivalent in standard to the Ryman South and their form is roughly the same as Chatham (11 points from 8 games) so therefore they are beatable. They have two joint player-managers (one of which has been with them for 17 years and played over 750 games for them) the other an extremely prolific goal scorer. They also have two coaches. One of the coaches played for Fulham and Wimbledon and the other was with Oxford City.
The last time we got this far we won and then drew the 4th qualifying round 2-2 after being 2-0 up with tem minutes to go. The draw for the 1st round proper was made before the replay and the winners came out of the hat at home to Swindon. Swindon was the highest ranked side in the competition at that stage being top of Div 3 South. We lost the replay but at least were in the draw.
