HEAD Coach Glenn Pennyfather plans to harness his team's FA Cup heartache and their poor return against Bishop's Stortford last season to help motivate his squad ahead of their return to Blue Square South action on tonight as they make the short trip to Hertfordshire for a 7:45pm kick-off at Woodside Park.

HEAD Coach Glenn Pennyfather plans to harness his team's FA Cup heartache and their poor return against Bishop's Stortford last season to help motivate his squad ahead of their return to Blue Square South action on tonight as they make the short trip to Hertfordshire for a 7:45pm kick-off at Woodside Park.

“It's important for us to push on and look for a good reaction, which we spoke to the players about immediately after the game on Saturday,” explained the Clarets' boss, whose team could have instead been tackling an FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round replay nearby if Stevenage Borough hadn't have stolen a late weekend win. “Our bread and butter is the league and we have to ensure there's no headache from the cup.

“We've played some of the top sides now so I'm looking for more consistency.”

In 2008/09 an exciting 3-3 draw in the first meeting at Melbourne excited the fans but ultimately resulted in two dropped points, while Stortford were victorious, 2-1, in the return as City slipped away from the top. Pennyfather hopes the players who remain this time around will improve on those performances, adding: “Of course we will be looking for three points as Bishop's Stortford proved in the second half of last season in particular they are a very good side although there've been changes since then.”

Midfielder Ollie Berquez and the versatile Simon Glover will look to help reinforce City's top-half position in the league table after emerging unscathed during their respective returns on Saturday and both are likely to play a part again, while potent striker Danny Hockton could be declared fit again after a fortnight out.

However, Captain Dave Rainford's hamstring strain continues to see him sidelined, 'keeper Craig Holloway is still out and centre-half Ben Martin remains on the treatment table.

While Chelmsford were involved in cup action, and narrowly missing out on a trip to Port Vale in the First Round Proper, Stortford had issues of their own as they became the first side to lose to strugglers Lewes this season, Glen Southam initially handing them a 31st-minute lead which eventually dissolved into a 2-1 deficit. Mark Simpson's team have otherwise made a brilliant start to the campaign as they sit in fifth place, reaping the benefits of striker Charlie Sheringham's prolific goal-scoring form.