The boys thrive on playing big games against higher opposition, says Hythe Town boss Scott Porter

HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter takes his side to Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday looking to cause another famous giant-killing act.

Porter relishes taking his side to bigger clubs in a Cup tie and producing a heroic result against all the odds.

Last season the Ryman League Division One South side stunned the likes of Ebbsfleet United, Dover Athletic and holders Dartford to win the Kent Senior Cup for the very first time in the club’s history.

And who can forget those FA Cup shocks against Concord Rangers (Ryman Premier) and Staines Town (Conference South) en-route to playing then League Two side Hereford United in the FA Cup First Round a couple of years’ ago?

Hampton & Richmond Borough suffered relegation from Conference South last season and are flying high in the Ryman Premier League, with four wins and two draws from their opening six games.

They are in second place in the table and have only conceded just one goal in the League so far.

It’s just the kind of game that Porter loves getting his teeth into.

He said: “It’s a game we relish to be fair. We’ve done it last year and the year before. There’s no pressure on us.  The boys’ thrive on playing big games against higher opposition in Cup competitions.

“There’s no pressure on us, all the pressure is on them. We’ve seen them play so we know a bit about them.

“We have to play to the best of our ability to get anything out of the game, which we’ve done in the past against the teams higher than us.

“The boys do know what it’s all about – the atmosphere, the buzz in the changing room is great (after a giant-killing) and I’ll remind the lads about that come Saturday.

“Hopefully the boys can do that this year again and there’s no reason why we can’t!”

Porter insists his side will put in a typical Hythe Town dominant display.

“I think we’ve got to get in their faces and just be horrible and be a hard team to beat,” he warned.

“They’ve got experienced players and ex-pros playing for them. They don’t concede many goals, well just one goal.

“It’s going to be difficult. We have to play at the best of our ability. We’ll go there with no pressure and we’ll be buzzing from the kick-off and we just need to upset them and play to our strengths and hopefully we can pull off a shock.”

Porter admits scoring will be difficult against the meanest defence in the entire Ryman Football League.

“Hopefully it will be a tight game. Hopefully we can stay in the game for as long as we can and we’d look to do that but it’s eleven-versus-eleven on the day and hopefully we can come out on top and get something from the game.

“We’ve got nothing to lose.

“I don’t play for draws, you’ve seen that in the past with substitutions and how I go about things. I like to win every game that I play.

 “We’ve had a break in the League, which has been frustrating, so we’re fresh, we’re raw and we’re ready to go.”

The Football Association have decided to bring forward the FA Trophy Final this year and Porter feels frustrated that his side’s campaign so far has been dominated by blank match-days owing to Cup commitments.

Hythe Town go into the game sitting second-from-bottom but that’s down to playing only four league games.

“Frustrating really because we haven’t played,” said Porter.

“You expect to play in the good weather and to play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday from August to the end of September.

“It is frustrating and we’re down the bottom but we’re not looking at that. We’ll get going again. 

“We tried to get a friendly (at home to Ashford United) on Tuesday but it got washed out so there’s no excuses from our boys. We’ve got plenty in the tank and we’ll be fresh and hopefully we can do it on Saturday.”

Unlucky Kent sides could actually be dumped out of The FA Cup, The FA Carlsberg Trophy and Kent Senior Cup all within the first two months of the season.

“I don’t understand it to be honest with you,” bemoaned Porter.

“When you start the season you want to keep the momentum going and keep playing week in week out, especially League games and where people are in and out of Cups these fixtures should be arranged anyway.  It’s easier to cancel games than to re-arrange games.

“It’s frustrating – we’re at the end of September and we’ve only played four League games, but we just have to get on with it.”

Meanwhile, striker Craig Thompson completes his three-match ban after Saturday’s game and Porter described it as “the longest ban ever!”

Visit Hythe Town’s website: www.hythetownfc.co.uk

Hampton & Richmond Borough  v  Hythe Town
The FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round
Saturday 29^th September 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Beveree Stadium, Beaver Close, Station Road, Hampton, Middlesex TW12 2BX