We stand a very good chance against Chelmsford, insists Burman

Thursday 08th October 2009

DARTFORD manager Tony Burman is licking his lips in anticipation over the “Battle of the Giants’” FA Cup showdown against Chelmsford City on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The third qualifying round clash is expected to attract a crowd of over 2,000 - and Burman is looking forward to locking horns with the Blue Square South side.

“I’m well pleased that we’ve been drawn at home,” Burman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “You’re going to have a proper Cup tie, a proper good game.

“There’s not many bigger clubs at this moment in time than Chelmsford, they’re a good side, a good club.”

Both clubs have suffered bad times of homelessness and are now benefiting from playing in their home towns in front off four-figure crowds, which is the envy of many of their rivals.

“It’s a credit to both clubs and their supporters that they’ve (both) come through some real bad times,” said Burman.

“We’ve settled in nicely at Princes Park now thanks to Dartford Borough Council. They’re are at a brand new ground themselves over at Chelmsford so we’ve both come through some real bad times and hopefully we’ll be meeting on a regular basis soon and that’s the beauty of it.”

Burman, whose side remain unbeaten as runaway leaders of the Ryman Premier League, added, “We know we’ve got a tough game, that’s for sure. We’re at home, it’s the FA Cup and I think people have got to remember we’re in the Ryman Premier League and playing against a Blue Square South side.

“We’ve got a lot of players who have played at a higher level so we’ve got a good chance. We’re playing very well with a lot of confidence in the side at the moment.

Burman has challenged the Darts faithful to create more noise than their Essex counterparts.

He said: “With the crowd behind us - it should be a great atmosphere on Saturday - we’ve got a great chance.

“We do stand a chance and FA Cup is obviously a stranger game. We spoke about potential banana skins (in previous rounds at Chipstead and Worthing) so to speak and this one it looks like it could be Chelmsford’s one.”

When asked it this is the biggest game at Princes Park, Burman replied, “Well, it’s the biggest FA Cup game at Princes Park, that’s for sure! It’s a big draw. It’s going to be a proper FA Cup tie and that’s what we want. Let’s try and impress so many people that watch the game and let’s hope the result goes our way.

“Our confidence is high at the moment, we’re at home with the crowd behind us we’ve got nothing to lose. I want the players to enjoy themselves, I want to enjoy the day and that’s what we’ll try and do.

“There’s no pressure if you like, it’s the FA Cup. We want to go as far as we can and if it takes us a bit further than this one so be it - let’s go and enjoy the game.”

COVERAGE: www.kentishfootball.co.uk has chosen this game as our LIVE match.

Visit Dartford’s websites: www.dartfordfc.co.uk & www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk

Dartford v Chelmsford City

FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Third Qualifying Round

Saturday 10th October 2009

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1RT