The FA Cup is huge for the club and huge for the players, says Sittingbourne boss Nick Davis

The Brickies have already banked £4,925 after beating two lower league sides in the shape of Chessington & Hook United and Littlehampton Town in The FA Cup so far and travel to Ryman Premier League strugglers Thamesmead Town in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday.

Sittingbourne arrive at Bayliss Avenue sitting in the bottom five in the Ryman League Division One South table, having collected three wins and a draw from their ten league games.

The Mead, however, are struggling in the league above and have collected four points from their first eleven games in the Ryman Premier League.

Joint-player-caretaker manager Davis is looking forward to facing friend Keith McMahon, the Thamesmead Town manager.

“Most definitely,” said Davis.  “I’ve known Keith for a very long time now and he’s the one that got me into Saturday senior football. He got me down at VCD at fifteen and I played in the reserve team at VCD and I made my debut in the first team at sixteen.

“I owe Keith a lot really. He’s coached me and we’ve been friends ever since.”

But friendship will be put on hold for 90 minutes as Sittingbourne bid to cause an upset and prevent Thamesmead Town reaching the Third Qualifying Round for the first time in their history.

“It’s huge for the club, it’s huge for the players,” said Davis.

“The club’s not been as far as that round for sixteen years’ so it’s absolutely huge all round for the town, for the team, for everyone.

“We have to be at our very best. We’re going into the game as massive underdogs regardless of their league position.  We know how strong they are at home from last year and we know the players’ that they’ve got.

“We go in as a team that’s below them in the divisions and we go in as massive underdogs.”

When asked how his side will come out on top at the weekend, Davis replied: “We have to be at our very best and be on the front foot and hopefully we get the desired result.”

When asked whether there is a gap between the two divisions, the Sittingbourne boss replied: “I think there is potentially between the top sides in the Ryman Premier and the majority of the Ryman South and North. However, lower down in the Premier I don’t think the difference is that major, but I can see the teams that have gone up are doing relatively well.

“Thamesmead haven’t done so well and I’m sure they will pick up.  Keith always seems to pull things round.”

Davis would like to bring in the prize money for the club’s chairman Maurice Dunk, which will come in handy since they don’t earn a penny from the social facilities at Woodstock Park.

“It’s absolutely massive especially when we’ve only recently just got the job – to give the chairman a cheque for £4,500 he will be over the moon,” said Davis.

“It’s going to be our Cup final. We’re going to enjoy the game. We’re going to have a coach even though it’s not a million miles away. We’ll have a coach, we’ll pick people up at the ground, at Medway services and at Dartford and we’ll be all together and enjoy the day.”

When asked what The FA Cup means to him personally, Davis, 31, said: “It means everything! I’ve never, never played in the first round proper. I’ve never got past the third qualifying round in sixteen years’ since I’ve been involved in it.

“To get to the third qualifying round for only the second time in sixteen years would be absolutely huge.

“If you get a home draw and you’re lucky you never know. You need a lot of luck to miss some of the big boys.

“The performance, I think, tends to go out of the window. In the league I say let’s keep it tight and don’t concede. In The FA Cup it’s a one-off game. The result ends up 5-4 the performance doesn’t really matter as much – it’s literally about winning on the day!”

Visit Sittingbourne’s website: www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Thamesmead Town  v  Sittingbourne
The FA Cup with Budweiser Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 28^th September 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ