The odds may be stacked against Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday but they have already run one of Gloucestershire’s National League big-hitters mightily close this season.
The Hawks host an ambitious Forest Green Rovers in the FA Trophy first round after a testing season so far that has seen them lose well-established centre-back pairing Ed Harris and Brian Dutton to injury.
Havant & Waterlooville v Forest Green Rovers
FA Trophy first round
Westleigh Park
3pm Saturday 12 December 2015
Winning sides receive £5,000 from the FA prize fund
As such the National League South outfit, who enjoyed a play-off push last season, are struggling at the wrong end of the table but there is reason to suggest this Saturday’s tie will be closer than on first inspection.
Gloucestershire sides Forest Green and Cheltenham are doing battle at the top of the National League and Havant & Waterlooville forced a replay against the latter in the FA Cup last month.
Add the fact that his team reached the FA Trophy semi-finals two seasons ago and Hawks boss Lee Bradbury believes they have the ability to trouble their high-flying foe.
“We had the best and second best defensive record in the league over the last two years so it’s made a huge difference,” said Bradbury of his injury setbacks. “We’ve had to patch up the defence a little bit.
“We were 3-1 down against Cheltenham and got it back to 3-3 to take it to the replay, so we know we can give teams in that league a really good game.
Darren Carter on the ball for Forest Green
“Forest Green are a couple of points behind them in the league but they are two different sides. They’ve got Jon Parkin and Darren Carter, who have got lots of experience in the Football League so we have no doubt how good they are.
“But we know from experience too that a good cup run can breed confidence back in the league.
“We have got to create our own atmosphere and affect their game. The fans have been brilliant this year – they’ve stayed behind the team despite all the problems we have had.”
Parkin and Carter are not the only two Rovers players boasting a wealth of experience, however, with David Pipe also in the side.
The former Welsh international midfielder reached the 2012 Trophy final during his Newport County days, before returning to Wembley the following year for the Conference play-off final.
Lee Bradbury during his playing days with Crystal Palace in 1999
And the 32-year-old admits another trip to the grandest stage in English football is very much on his mind this season.
“The prize at the end of it is massive,” said Pipe. “As a professional footballer you want to play at Wembley – you want to go to that iconic stadium.
“The 2012 final was a bit surreal. You want to press the slow-mo button but it kind of flashed by. When you have finished and you look back, those are the good memories that you get from football.
“It is hard to talk about yourself but when I was a young lad, playing for the likes of Coventry and Bristol Rovers, I was looking at boys who were a bit more experienced than me and the way they approached the game.
“Our youngsters all want to learn and I am sure they will be looking to us for something similar.”
