Corinthian boss Michael Golding: Horsham will be tough opposition for us and we will fully respect them and we go into the match as we did in the last two rounds as big underdogs and it will take a massive effort from the whole squad for us to progress

CORINTHIAN manager Michael Golding says the players have the opportunity to help the amateur club to reach The FA Cup Second Qualifying Round for only the second time in their history.

Corinthian are in seventh-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 10 points from five games and are unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions.

They needed a replay to see of their league rivals Fisher at the first hurdle in The FA Vase in midweek but all attention turns to tomorrow’s home clash against Horsham.

The Hornets are in thirteenth-place in the Bostik South East Division – one level higher than Corinthian – with three points on the board from four games and they have lost their last three games.

Corinthian beat league rivals Canterbury City 3-0 at home in The FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round but beat Bostik League side Chipstead 1-0 in Surrey, which earnt the club £5,140 in prize money.  The club will scoop a further £6,000 if they send Horsham crashing out of The FA Cup.

“Everyone at Corinthian is excited about tomorrow’s game as it’s The FA Cup, the biggest cup competition in the world and we are honoured to still be part of the competition at this stage,” said Golding, on the eve of the Gay Dawn Farm clash.

“We set the players a target of staying in The FA Cup until September and we are pleased to have achieved this, but of course now we are here and we want to push on and it would be incredible to still be in the hat for the draw on Monday.

“The game gives the players an opportunity to showcase their talents against higher level opposition, so I am sure the players will be chomping at the bit to gain a positive result.

“Horsham will be tough opposition for us and we will fully respect them and we go into the match as we did in the last two rounds as big underdogs and it will take a massive effort from the whole squad for us to progress in the competition.”

The only time that the club have reached the Second Qualifying Round was back in 1993 when they lost 2-0 at Molesey.

Golding added:  “The players have the opportunity to create a little bit of club history if we can progress, we can take confidence in our current unbeaten run and if we can continue to work as hard as we have done in all of our games so far this season, then this is all we can ask of the players.”

Corinthian  v  Horsham
The Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round
Saturday 8 September 2018
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Gay Dawn Farm, Valley Road, Longfield, Kent DA3 8LY