TONY Hall says that hot favourites CRC will have to defend well to hold his Brantham Athletic side in today's FA Vase second qualifying round game.Manager Hall's side has blasted 28 goals in eight Ridgeons League First Division games, and he said: “We are scoring goals for fun.

Stuart Watson

TONY Hall says that hot favourites CRC will have to defend well to hold his Brantham Athletic side in today's FA Vase second qualifying round game.

Manager Hall's side has blasted 28 goals in eight Ridgeons League First Division games, and he said: “We are scoring goals for fun.

“CRC may be top of the Premier Division, but they will have to stop us scoring.”

This is the first time Brantham have played in the Vase for two decades having at one time dropped down to junior football following a memorable run to the later stages of the competition under Stan Box's management in the early-eighties.

“It is great for the club to be back,” added Hall. “But I would like to wring the neck of the person who pulled the balls out for the draw.

“We could not have asked for a tougher time and I have not bothered to have CRC watched as I know they have quality.

“If we are on our game I'm hopeful we can get something.”

Hall enjoyed a Vase run to the last eight while playing for Bury Town, and knows the romance of the competition.

“It is one that teams like us can look to win,” he said. “The Ridgeons League has had many clubs who have enjoyed some very successful times in the Vase.

“We are leaking a few goals, but if we can score more than we concede we will go through.”

CRC are made of youngsters from the set-up of Blue Square Premier Cambridge United, and they will have to extinguish the firepower of Brantham's on-form front men Ollie Mann, David Grimwood, Sean Gunn and Patrick Brothers.

Brantham finished ninth in the table last season, and Hall was happy to retain the same squad, who have an average age of 19 and will mature in the coming years.

This weekend's winners will pocket �900 prize money from the Football Association with 24 Ridgeons League clubs looking to reach the next round.