Hornchurch manager Mark Stimson insists his side have nothing to fear as they head into an FA Trophy quarter-final clash with National League North side Darlington.
The Urchins will make the long trip north to Blackwell Meadows on Saturday as they bid to pull off yet another upset in the non-league cup competition.
Stimson has won the competition four times as a player and a manager and is now hoping to take one step closer to another win by going against the odds.
“I spoke to the players about this stage of the competition and no one has been there before so it’s new ground for them,” he said.
“Nothing to fear, just excitement, but you have to control that and play how we have been playing.
“The last couple of weeks have been good, the boys have trained well.
“We’re looking forward to this really exciting quarter-final tie.”
Progressing into the semi-finals will keep Hornchurch’s season alive whereas a loss will most likely bring their season to an end.
“I was reading the non-league paper on Sunday and their manager was saying about that. It’s a game where if you win you keep your season going, if you don’t win your season is finished, so it’s a massive game in that sense.
“Myself and all the players like playing/coaching football. Unfortunately there will be a loser, just fingers crossed it’s not going to be us.”
Striker Sam Higgins and left-back Remi Sutton have been nursing injuries but will hope to be available while Nathan Cooper, Chris Dickson and Louis Ramsay who all left the club on dual-registration deals could even feature.
“A couple of the boys are 50/50 for the game. A couple of the boys that moved onto National League South clubs, I'd like to think we’re going to have one, maybe another - it will depend on this week.
“We’re ready whoever we’ve got and they all know what is expected of them and that is to give their all. If we can do that, we’ll come away proud.
“Hopefully we can come back down the A1 as winners.”
The club will travel up this evening (Friday) to prepare thanks to the generous donations from West Ham United and the Hornchurch supporters, which has seen them raise £4,466.
“The club have go on to say thank you for that. Me personally, I would like to say a massive thank you to West Ham, but also to everybody else that has donated.
“It’s quite amazing in these times that you think people have put their hand into their pockets to donate to the club to go up and prepare properly.
“It’s a great gesture and I'm led to believe any money that is left over is going towards something to help out at the ground so that’s brilliant. A massive thank you to everybody.”
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