Pat Rayment doesn’t believe that Leek Town will relish facing his red-hot Spalding United side in the FA Trophy on Saturday.
The Tulips will go into the first round qualifying clash as slight underdogs, despite having a similar record to their Evo-Stik League First Division South rivals this term.
Rayment accepts that it’ll be tough for his side to make any impact in the Trophy, given that Spalding are one of the lowest ranks teams still alive in the money-spinning competition.
But he does feel that the Tulips – unbeaten in their last five games – are capable of springing a few surprises ahead of their weekend trip to Staffordshire (3pm).
Rayment said: “I don’t imagine Leek will be that pleased to have drawn us.
“We’ve been to the likes of Loughborough Dynamo and Coalville Town and won this season, so who is saying we can’t do that again?
“Leek are a good side and it’ll be tough. But if we can get through this one and have a little run, we could end up drawing a really big side like Lincoln City.
“I’m a realist, we’ve not got much chance of winning the FA Trophy. But it’s a decent little money-spinner for the football club if we can get a run going.
“We’re in very good form and my team are really stepping up their game.
“I do think that some of them let their standards drop last season. We dominated the UCL Premier Division and it was too easy at times.
“Now we’re starting to see the lads play to the standards that Marcus Ebdon and myself expect – and I don’t think any side will get an easy ride against us.”
Should they progress from the first round qualifying clash, Spalding will bank £2,700 in prize money.
New signings Jack McGovern and Matt Kennedy should be in the squad, but Luke Thurlbourne remains sidelined through injury.
