THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY: Show no heart again and we're going noWare, warns Fisk - EXCLUSIVE

They say seven days in football is a long time - just ask Paul Fisk, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Hythe Town boss saw his battling side knock Ryman League Division One South giants Dover Athletic out of the FA Cup one week, winning 2-1 at a packed Reachfields Stadium, but seven days later his side were thumped 5-0 at Sussex County League side Arundel as the club’s FA Vase run ended in the first round proper.

“I think we thought we were able to just turn up and win the game,” Fisk admitted when speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Obviously Arundel had other ideas! They played particularly well, didn’t give us any room or anything, and we played very poorly.

“I would say we were still enjoying the Dover result. We didn’t realise we were in such a tough game and we felt we could turn up and win the game.

“You can’t do that in any game - it was a rude awakening!”

Revealing his feelings about the Sussex shocker, Fisk added: “I didn’t think we’d get that sort of result. It was a shock, but it’s happened now and we’ve got to get on with it.”

If Hythe Town can beat Dover Athletic, surely they can knock Ryman League Division One North side Ware out of the FA Cup on Saturday?

And Fisk wants his players to show the same grit and determination that they did against Andy Hessenthaler’s stars two weeks ago, against the unknowns from Hertfordshire.

“Well, I want them to show that last week was a one-off and come out with a positive attitude to win the game,” he insisted.

But Ware won’t be easy. “We know quite a bit, obviously their cup form, they’ve beaten Thurrock and Harlow, in the League Cup, so we know they’re a good footballing side.

“Their Cup results are good and we know it’s going to be our hardest game of the season so far, I’d say.”

Harder than playing Dover? Fisk replied: “I think so!”

And he explained that his side, filled with ex-Dover, Folkestone Invicta and Ashford Town players, didn’t need any motivating two weeks ago.

“We haven’t had any ex-Ware players in the side as we did for the Dover one,” he said.

“We’d be playing a side maybe as good as Dover and have to apply ourselves more.

“We don’t have the extra bits of incentives that we had for the Dover game because it (was) local and Dover means a lot to everybody locally as a big club so the incentive was there because of the size of the club.

“Dover, Folkestone and Ashford are close to one another and just because it was a big club and a big crowd made it a big occasion - it was easy to raise their game for that one.”

Despite being two wins away from a date in the first round proper, the Kent League's sole survivors are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

“If we win Saturday we’ll be pleased to be in the next round,” said Fisk. “We’re not looking too far, we’re looking forward to it and hoping we can get another win.”

Central defender, Gavin Ransley (broken cheekbone), striker Michael Smissen (ankle), winger Ian Hayes (hamstring) and striker Joe Neilson (calf) have all been ruled out.

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

Hythe Town v Ware
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 13^th October 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Reachfields Stadium, Fort Road, Hythe, Kent