Hume expects success on the road

Maidstone United joint-manager Lloyd Hume expects his side to win their first game on their travels on Saturday - a trip to Bury Town in the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Stones have already lost all of their away matches this season, losing in Hastings, Chelmsford, Ramsgate, Hendon, Bromley (against Cray Wanderers), Billericay (twice) and Kingston-upon-Thames (against AFC Wimbledon), but Hume is expecting better luck in the Suffolk town of Bury-St-Edmunds as the Ryman Premier League club get their FA Trophy campaign underway.

“It’s going to be a tough game,” Hume told www.kentishfootball.co.uk following their first draw of the season, a 2-2 home draw with Harrow Borough.

“We’ve got a long way to travel but I never make excuses about anything. The travelling should not affect us.

“If we go there, we’re professional, and we perform the way we did tonight (against Harrow Borough), without the two howling efforts, then I think we’ll go there and we’ll win the game.

“But anything less than the way we’ve performed tonight, without the mistakes, then we’ll get beat. I’m under no illusions about that.

Hume is fully aware of what the Ryman League Division One North side will throw at them.

“We’ve had them watched and we’ve had a report on them and they’re in a little bit of a false position in that league,” he said.

“You could say that because Ware, who are in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup (and host Tonbridge Angels next Saturday) and beat Conference South teams, so we know we’re going to be up for a tough game.

“They’re at home, they’ll look at our league position and they’ll fancy beating us - I’m under no illusions.

“If we don’t perform to our maximum potential, we’d probably get beat so it’s going to be very tough for us but I’m expecting our players to do well.”

Hume will assess the fitness of big central defender Mario Celiare before the Ram Meadow clash.

Celaire was withdrawn after 79 minutes against Harrow Borough when his hamstring tightened up.

Hume said: “We’re doing all we can to get him fit. What he needs is rest and I might take this opportunity to rest him on Saturday because the reality us we’re probably not going to win the FA Trophy and it might be a good time to rest him and that decision we’ll have to make this week.”

Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk

Bury Town v Maidstone United
FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round
Saturday 20^th October 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Ram Meadow, Cotton Lane, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1XP