Salisbury FC manager Steve Claridge wants his players to seize what could be their final chance to win the FA Vase in May.
Should Salisbury be promoted from the Wessex Premier Division this term they will not be eligible to play in the Vase next term and instead switch their attentions to the FA Trophy.
And their recent journey has been something of a fairytale.
AFC Dunstable v Salisbury FC
The FA Vase
Fourth round
Creasey Park
3pm Sunday 10 January 2016
Winning sides receive £2,000 from The FA prize fund
Salisbury FC reformed after the previous incarnation – Salisbury City FC – folded due to financial problems at the end of the 2013/14 season.
Forced down the leagues, Salisbury have returned in the Wessex Premier Division and are conquering all before them while also making it through qualifying to the fourth round proper of the Vase where they take on AFC Dunstable on Sunday.
And Claridge, whose side took down last year’s semi-finalists Highworth Town 5-1 in the previous round, wants Salisbury to make the most of the opportunity in front of them and reach Wembley.
“This could be the last chance for these players, next year if we get promoted we will not be competing in the Vase,” said Claridge, who scored the extra-time winner for Leicester in the play-off final at Wembley in 1996.
“I’m not going to say we have to make it to Wembley or anything like that – but all I will say is a team is going to have to play very well to beat us.
“We are a fit team – we showed that in the last round – and the lads know what an opportunity they have.
“We have had Dunstable watched and they will be an even harder game, we are going into that expecting nothing less.
“We are going to give it a real crack and with the side that we have now we will be disappointed if we do not take this opportunity to go deep and hopefully get to Wembley.”
Their opponents AFC Dunstable have never been to fourth round before.
But having beaten Basildon in the last round the Spartan South Midlands Football League side are not finished there – according to boss Steve Heath.
“We managed to get to the third round last year and to go one better this time is fantastic,” he said.
“But we don’t want to stop there – we want to get last 16. I managed to do that with my previous club Leverstock Green.
“If I am honest we do not know a great deal about them – they have dropped down from a high level and will start as favourites in the eyes of most people.
“But not in mine, this is my second full season in charge here, last year we were building but now we have momentum – we have been up the top of the table since the start.
“We would have liked an easier draw – that’s being honest. They are a big club and there will be a great atmosphere and in a one-off game anything can happen.”
