It's really important to start well, says Maidstone United boss Jay Saunders

MAIDSTONE UNITED boss Jay Saunders says his side must take the game to Boreham Wood when the two sides lock horns in The FA Cup on Saturday.


Boreham Wood arrive in Kent sitting in the bottom three in The Skrill South, with two wins and three draws from their ten games.

The Stones, meanwhile, sit proudly at the top of the Ryman Premier League with nine wins and three draws from their thirteen league outings.

Saunders is looking forward to the Third Qualifying Round tie at James Whatman Way.

The last time that the Kent club reached this stage of The FA Cup was in season 2008-2009, when they went down to a 1-0 defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the Fourth Qualifying Round at Sittingbourne’s Bourne Park.

Saunders said: “They should be favourites, but the bookies, I’ve been told, have made us favourites. It’s a bit of a shock when they’re from a higher league.

“It’s a good game for us. We’re in a bit of form and hopefully we can carry it on and get a good result.”

Maidstone United are capable of knocking out a Conference South club going by their impressive run of form.

The Stones were promoted as runners-up in Ryman League Division One South after beating Folkestone Invicta and Faversham Town at home in the play-off lottery.

“It’s a great bit of form,” said Saunders.  “The league has been all new to us.  We’ve got The FA Cup and FA Trophy next weekend, so we stay top of the league for a couple of weeks, which is nice.

“We have a break away from it. I know it’s an old saying but the league form goes out of the window and we have to make sure we’re up for it.”

Saunders has done his homework on their Hertfordshire based opponents, watching their Second Qualifying Round Replay win over Barton Rovers at Meadow Park.

“They’ve got a lot of experienced players that I’ve played against over the years that are still playing and players’ that I know off,” said Saunders.

“I went to watch them in their replay and we’ve had them watched a couple of times since so they’re a good side.

“They’ve got some dangerous players in their side – but it’s up to us I think.

“I try as a manager to do your homework on sides, but I try to work out what we can do and what we’re good at to cause them problems.”

When asked how it will be won, Saunders replied: “I think it will be a tight affair. If we can get a good start, I think that will be really important.

“Lowestoft came down and made it really hard for us in the first half-an-hour. If we can get a good start and have a real good go at them then they can realise we’re a decent side and the crowd will hopefully get behind us and we can kick on from there.”

Saunders reached The FA Cup Second Round when playing in the middle of the park for Margate back in 2002 when they came away from Brisbane Road with a 1-1 draw before beating Leyton Orient 1-0 in the replay. The Gate went down to a 3-0 home defeat to Cardiff City in the next round.

“That’s what I’ve always said to the boys – you always think there’s going to be another year and before you know it you’re like me and your careers over,” added a reflective Saunders.

“You hope you get to that first round in The FA Cup. What’s important is that the boys whether they’re the older ones or the younger ones try and get as far as we can because the years fly by and sometimes all of a sudden you haven’t done anything in it.

“We played Leyton Orient. We played them at their place and drew and we beat them and in the next round we had Cardiff.

“Things like that you remember fondly. We’ve got Zac Attwood this year who had a great run in The Cup last year (playing for Hastings at Middlesbrough in the Third Round) and it’s proof of what can be done.”

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

Maidstone United  v  Boreham Wood
The FA Cup with Budweiser Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 12^th October 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At The Gallagher Stadium, James Whatman Way, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LQ