Manager Jody Brown has insisted that if his Heybridge Swifts side can cause a shock at League Two high-fliers Exeter City on Sunday afternoon (2pm), then it will be “a monumental upset.”
The Swifts are hoping to do themselves justice at St James Park, having deservedly reached the first round proper of the FA Cup following a superb start to the season.
Incredibly, the Swifts have only lost one of their first 20 games, in all competitions, such a contrast to last season when they only avoided relegation from the Bostik North on a dramatic final day.
Exeter will start as warm favourites to dispense of their non-league visitors, but Heybridge have different ideas.
“I’m trying to keep the build-up as normal as possible, though it hasn’t been easy,” admitted Brown, whose side travel down to Devon tomorrow. He continued: “What will be, will be. Exeter are more than 100 places above us (in the football pyramid) so to beat them would be bigger than Exeter beating Manchester United!
“It would be a monumental upset, if we were to win, and I certainly think it would go down in FA Cup folklore.
“I just hope that we give a good account of ourselves, because as a manager I won’t enjoy watching us being hammered. I don’t want our day to end in embarrassment.
“We’ve had a great season already, and we want to focus on keeping that going. We mustn’t get carried away by the results we have achieved, and suddenly think that we are better than what we are. But we have kept finding ways to win games.
“We mustn’t allow the spotlight of this FA Cup match to derail our whole season. I have noticed a slightly different atmosphere amongst the players, ever since we reached the first round by beating Haringey Borough, even though we have had five more matches since then.
“I want this weekend to be the showpiece of a successful season, not to be the stand-out point in an ultimately failing season,” added Brown.
The Swifts have beaten Haverhill Rovers, Arseley Town, Met Police, Frome Town and Haringey to reach the first round.
“We can’t approach Exeter in the same way as we would a league match against Romford or Barking. But we won’t be watching too many videos of them,” added Brown.
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