We'd love to have a good run in The Vase, says Erith & Belvedere boss Micky Collins

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Micky Collins says he wants to enjoy a run in the FA Carlsberg Vase – but he is expecting a tough game against VCD Athletic on Saturday.

The two Kent League sides enter the competition in the First Round and lock horns with each other at Oakwood on Saturday.

Collins has guided the club to the summit of the Kent League table with eight wins and two draws from their first eleven games.

Ricky Bennett’s Vickers’, meanwhile, aren’t too far behind and go into the Kent showdown sitting in third-place, with six wins and two draws from ten games.

The Crayford side eased past Sevenoaks Town 3-0 in the Kent Senior Trophy at the weekend, courtesy of goals from James Duckworth, Lawrence Collins and Uche Ibemere.

“There’s not a lot of difference between the two sides, slightly different styles but it’s always going to be a tough game,” said Collins, after his side booked their place in the Second Round of the Kent Senior Trophy after their 3-2 home win over Greenwich Borough yesterday.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one team go and absolutely annihilate one another.  It’s not happened. It’s always been a tight game.

“Ricky sets his team up, his team are organised.  There’s a couple of our old boys over there as well. There’s a couple of his here so it’s a great game in the Vase.

“The only killer is you don’t want to meet other Kent League sides in Cups. You want to stay away from them.  It’s a killer for either one of us because one of us are going out.”

Collins said he would like to go as far as he can in the FA Vase this season.  Herne Bay reached the semi-finals last season when they suffered a heartbreaking defeat up at West Auckland Town, but went on to clinch the Kent League title to make up for it.

“You can’t pick your draws and we’ll go there next week and we want to be in the next round,” said Collins.

“We set our targets for the things that we want to win this year.  You try to win every competition that you go in.  We’d love to have a good run in the Vase.  I haven’t had one since I’ve been here and that will be nice but if it ends it ends. It’s not going to kill our season because that’s not the be all and end all.”

Collins added: “It’s the only competition seriously that you’ve got a chance of making it to Wembley. 

“We’re going to go out there, like every game and to set-up to win a game of football.”

Collins revealed why he is taking their London Senior Cup (Sponsored by Coventry Scaffolding) Second Round home tie against Kent League basement side Holmesdale seriously when the two sides meet at Park View Road on Tuesday, 16 October.

He said: “We then have a tough game on the Tuesday night in the London Cup here which to be fair if we can get past Holmesdale and it’s Barking away in the next round. Then we’ve got a home tie with AFC Wimbledon so you’re going to have one eye on that as well and that’s why we’ve got a big squad.  We’ll look to chop it around, but there’s a couple not available next week.”

Visit Erith & Belvedere’s website: www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk

VCD Athletic  v  Erith & Belvedere
The FA Carlsberg Vase First Round
Saturday 13^th October 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN