Our lads have been fantastic in not just losing sight of the fact that football would return at some point and they all came back really fit and ready to go, says Faversham Town coach Scott Reilly

FAVERSHAM TOWN coach Scott Reilly says his troops are relishing the chance of opening their campaign on Saturday.

The Lilywhites welcome Eastbourne Town to Salters Lane in The FA Cup Preliminary Round.

Eastbourne Town have already played three games this season and sit in tenth-place in the Southern Combination League Premier Division table.

They opened their campaign in The FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round on the first day of September and came away from Saltdean United with a 3-1 win.

They opened their league campaign three days later with a 1-0 defeat to Horsham YMCA but bounced back with a 2-1 home win over Peacehaven & Telscombe.

“We are really eager as a club to get going this year,” said Reilly.

“We’ve had a good pre-season where we have been able to try different things in areas and have managed to iron out a few question marks that we had when we first came back in as a squad.

“The boys attitudes and work-rate have been fantastic and as I said we are really eager to get going, starting with The FA Cup tie against Eastbourne Town on Saturday.

“The FA Cup is something we would like to have a real crack at and do as best as we can in.

“It’s a competition where the players have 10 maybe 15 percent of playing in through their careers and we want them to go out and really enjoy it.

“Like many teams, the financial benefits of a good cup run would be massive for us but more importantly we want to see our boys competing against the better sides and give themselves the chance to go and test themselves at a higher level and get a deserved reward for their hard work so far.

“Not only this but the history and magic of The FA Cup speaks for itself and is something that as a player you want to be part of, no matter how big and small.

“We have not taken Eastbourne Town lightly. We have done our work behind the scenes, received a detailed scout report this week on how they play, along with their strengths and weaknesses and this is something we will look to both negate and expose come Saturday.

“We know we are in for a tough game but it is one that our boys are up for and it will be an exciting spectacle for the fans too, I’m sure.”

Clubs at Isthmian League South East Division level have a maximum crowd restriction of 400 at their games due to coronavirus restrictions set by The Football Association and UK Government - and Reilly says the club are looking forward to welcoming fans through the turnstiles for competitive games.

“It has been a difficult year for everyone with regards to the current pandemic, major adjustments have had to been made, not only in sport but across the world in general,” said Reilly.

“Our lads have been fantastic in not just losing sight of the fact that football would return at some point and they all came back really fit and ready to go, which made our management team’s job easier in terms of we were able to focus more on the tactical side of things that we had prepared throughout the lockdown period with them as soon as they returned for pre-season.

“I would just like to take this time to thank, on behalf of the management team and players, all of the continued hard work put in by the staff at Faversham Town Football Club that has allowed us to return back to football in a safe environment and get back to doing what we love during these uncertain periods.”

All FA Cup ties – in every round of the competition – will go straight to a penalty shoot-out if scores are level after 90 minutes.  There will be no extra-time or replays this season.

Visit Faversham Town’s website:  www.favershamtownfc.co.uk

Faversham Town  v  Eastbourne Town
The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
Saturday 12 September 2020
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Salters Lane, Faversham, Kent ME13 8ND