St. Albans City boss James Gray admits his team will need a healthy dose of fortune when they tackle Mansfield Town in the First Round Proper of The FA Cup on Saturday.
Gray's side, who compete in the Southern League Premier Division, are set to lock horns with a team ranked three tiers above them - and one with recent pedigree in this competition.
St Albans v Mansfield
The FA Cup with Budweiser
First Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 9 November 2013 Clarence Park, St. Alban's City
Mansfield, of course, last season hosted seven-time Cup winners Liverpool in the Third Round Proper and narrowly succumbed 2-1 to a side featuring the talents of England internationals Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson and Uruguay maestro Luis Suarez.
But Gray, who co-manages St Albans City with Graham Golds, is optimistic and believes a combination of luck and quality could spark a Cup upset this weekend.
He told TheFA.com: "In these games, when you're an underdog and you're the smaller side you need to have a little bit of luck. If we do get that luck, I feel with the quality of players that we have got, we can cause an upset."
Gray, who captained St. Albans during his playing days, is adamant that the occasion won't get to his players but instead play into their hands.
"The pressure is all on Mansfield - we can just go out there enjoy it and hopefully get the ball down and play our football," he added.
"We won't have any nerves. We are just going to go into the game as relaxed as anything and if we do that we will give ourselves every opportunity of winning."
“The pressure is all on Mansfield - we can just go out there enjoy it .”
James Gray St Albans co-manager
The manager also feels in-form strikers John Frendo and Mark Nwokeji, who have netted 17 goals between them this season, will hold the key this weekend.
Gray added: "They're full of confidence going into the game and have been in great scoring form so they're the two players who can really open up their defence.
"We're going to need to defend well, but those two at the top end are a massive threat. They will have to be wary of us too, they won't take us likely and we won't take them likely."
