We definately won't be taking Banstead lightly, says Stones boss Jay Saunders

JAY SAUNDERS takes his Maidstone United side to face Banstead Athletic in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup on Saturday full of confidence following last night's 2-0 win over Walton & Hersham, writes Mike Green.


The Stones have now won their last five and haven’t conceded a goal for over 400 minutes.  That said, Saunders knows only too well just how difficult the tie against the Combined Counties League side could be.
 
Speaking after the midweek win that took Maidstone into the top six of the Ryman League Division One South table, Saunders admitted, "Saturday is a massive banana skin for us - we've got to go there having prepared right in the same manner and show them the same respect that we showed Corinthian in the last round.

“I think that we've got a set of lads now that whether or not they're playing well will give 10% all of the time, and if we do that we should be able to do enough to get the win. 

"We definitely though won’t be taking them lightly," Saunders continued.  "I've spoke to a few people about them - I'm told that they're a young side but I'm expecting that when we get there on Saturday they'll raise their game 20 or 30 percent and even at Corinthian, when we were 3 up at half time, we weren't at the races that day, and they raised their game, but we came away with the win."

With the club desperate to get back to the County Town, Saunders also appreciates just how important a cup run could be to the club. 

He said: "I've had some good cup runs in it and it’s a big day for the club and it’s important for the club financially especially as we're trying to get back to Maidstone, but as a player you should want to go as far as you can in the competition - just look at Hythe last year and others down the years that have had cup runs, and to be involved in it is a great thing!"

Turning his attention to his team selection, the boss, who recently has been sidelined through injury admitted, "Hopefully I might be able to be involved on the bench on Saturday as we're allowed seven subs, but it’s probably a couple of weeks early for me, but we're looking quite strong at the moment with nearly everyone back.

“You've just got to look at the bench on Tuesday with the likes of James Pinnock and Alex Waugh back - I don’t think people have quite realised how many injuries we've had recently as we've been missing four or five players recently so it’s looking positive at the moment and we're looking strong."

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

Banstead Athletic  v  Maidstone United
FA Cup with Budweiser First Qualifying Round
Saturday 17^th September 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Merland Rise, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 5JG