Hume: Wer're ready for tough Tooting test

MAIDSTONE UNITED joint-manager Lloyd Hume was cursing his sides bad luck - after drawing a Ryman Premier League rival for their first FA Cup game of the season, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Stones, sitting in fourth place with 16 points from eight games, welcome Tooting & Mitcham United to Bourne Park on Saturday and Hume is expecting a tough encounter.

The Terrors, who clinched promotion with Dover Athletic, beating Cray Wanderers in the play-off final at the end of last season, are five places behind the Stones, having collected four wins and one draw so far this season and go into the game in confident fashion, having defeated Kent side Margate 2-1 at Imperial Fields in midweek.

Maidstone United have had a mixed week, being on the end of a smash-and-grab raid by local rivals Tonbridge Angels last weekend, before bouncing back and defeating Boreham Wood at Meadow Park, courtesy of Lloyd Blackman’s decisive goal.

And with £3,000 worth of prize money with a victory in the first qualifying round up for grabs, Hume knows it’s important to win on Saturday.

“It’s important we do well in the FA Cup,” Hume told www.kentishfootball.co.uk  after Jamie Cade’s last-gasp goal from one yard meant the Angels grabbed victory.

“We’ve had a tough draw in terms of picking someone from our league because we could have got teams from a lower league.

“But, at the end of the day, if we’re going to go on a decent enough Cup run we have to play better teams than Tooting and beat them.

“It’s a good distraction from the league, it’s a game hopefully everyone will be up for, the crowd as well and we’ll get through to the next qualifying round.”

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

Maidstone United v Tooting & Mitcham United
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) First Qualifying Round
Saturday 13^th September 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Bourne Park, Central Park, Eurolink, Church Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB