A hard-earned Emirates FA Cup replay victory has handed Pitching In Southern League Division One South outfit, Bishops Cleeve, a plum home tie in the second round qualifying.
Goals from Jay Malshanksyj, who followed up his Man of the Match performance in the first game with a sweet strike, and Bryan Stalley saw the Mitres run out 2-1 winners at Laverstock & Ford to set up a visit from former Football League club, Torquay United, now of the Vanarama National League South, in the next round.
“It was a great away win,” Malshanskyj told us. “It’s a difficult place to go to, especially on a Tuesday night, but the boys worked their socks off to get the victory and set up a great tie in the next round.
“It will be great exposure for the club and for us players, it’s the chance to test ourselves against a big club from a couple of levels above us.
“The FA Cup is just a special competition like no other. Anything can happen, you only have to look back at some of the giant-killing feats over the years.
“It’s an occasion that we will be looking forward to; we’ll go out there and give our all and you never know what will happen.
“The season has started okay; we have two wins and two defeats from our opening four League games, but the feeling is that we’re starting to find our feet as a team and the togetherness is getting better all of the time.
“I feel that from a personal point of view, I have done well. I have a few goals to my name already and just feel fit and ready for each new game.
“The League has started in a similar vein as last season where everyone is capable of beating each other, that’s why you have to turn up week in, week out.
“There’s no reason why we can’t hit the play-offs this time. We’ve been in and around over the past couple of seasons since coming into this League and we are equipped to take that extra step this time around.”
Before thoughts can turn back to the Emirates FA Cup, an away trip to Willand Rovers is on the agenda in the Isuzu FA Trophy on Saturday.
IMAGE: Bishops Cleeve FC
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