MILDENHALL Town manager Simon Charlton says some of the players that left the club in the summer now want to return.

Stuart Watson

MILDENHALL Town manager Simon Charlton says his young side will be looking to take the game to higher league opponents Ilkeston Town in the FA Cup today.

Charlton's side travel to Derbyshire in the second round of qualifying to face a side a side that currently occupy a play-off place in the Blue Square North.

It is one of the biggest matches in the Suffolk club's history, with a place amongst the competition's last 80 qualifiers and �4,500 at stake, but Charlton says his inexperienced team will not fear the occasion.

“I have told the players that there is absolutely no pressure on them,” said Charlton.

“They are three leagues higher than us so all we have to do is go and enjoy it.

“If my players go and perform like I know they can I have got no doubts that we can cause an upset.

“The team I have built is not one that sits back, soaks up pressure and plays on the counter attack. We like to play the game the right way and play some nice stuff.

“The team is not full of 6ft 2in and 6ft 3in players. We've got players that can pass and move and it's up to them to be brave enough to go out and play that way in front of what will probably be the biggest crowd they have played in front of.”

Charlton, a fans' favourite during his playing days at Premiership side Bolton, left a coaching role at Norwich City in the summer to take over at Recreation Way.

So far he has lost just two Ridgeons League Premier Division games - against Needham and Stanway - while the club remain in both the FA Cup and FA Vase.

“I'm really enjoying and starting to find out how things work at this level,” said Charlton.

“The management team and myself have all worked really hard to produce a team that are not just winning games, but winning games nicely.

“It's still too early to say what we could achieve this season, but a few of the players that left in the summer are showing interest in coming back and the gates are up so we must be doing something right.”

Facts

Ilkeston Town have mixed it with the big boys a few times in the FA Cup - reaching the second round proper twice.

Their best run was in 1999 when they knocked out Carlisle United on the way to the second round where they succumbed to Rushden & Diamonds 0-3.

Mildenhall have passed this stage just once, in 2001, when they reached the third qualifying round where they lost to Grays Athletic 0-2.