YM boss feels Aveley is favourable FA Cup draw

Burgess Hill place YM defence under pressure. Photo by Clive Turner

The Gorings Mead outfit produced one of the shocks of the round on Saturday as they overcame Sussex Ryman League Premier Division side Burgess Hill with a 2-1 win in the first qualifying round.

Those heroics meant another higher-division scalp to YM’s ever-growing list and they were rewarded with a home tie against Essex-based Ryman North Division Aveley on September 26.

A victory would see YM pocket £4,500 of prize money and draw nearer to the holy grail of the first round proper.

On the draw Buckland said: “It could have been a lot worse. It’s a bit of a conundrum as you do really want a big club down here with lots of people in as, let’s be honest, the FA Cup has a shelf life.

“We are not going to get to Wembley, it’s not like the FA Vase where you have a good chance of progressing - it’s all about prize money for the club in the FA Cup.

“I do not think Aveley are a massive club so won’t be bringing many people from that point of view. From our point of view, it’s got to be won so it is the prize money rather than the gate money.

“We can’t take it for granted though as they are Ryman Premier club after all. We are just taking each game as it comes at the moment, so my thoughts are to Worthing United on Saturday, then to Tuesday and then to the FA Cup game.”