“Reaching second round would be incredible”

The U’s travel to Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday in the first round knowing a victory would take them further than they’ve ever gone before in the world famous national knockout competition.

Walters said: “To get to the second round would be incredible really. Clubs at our level doing that is so rare. It would be a fantastic lift for the club and the town as well I would like to think.

“I know for sure if we play the way we’re capable of playing we can definitely do it. There’s all sorts of factors involved, but we go there with a lot of confidence. It’s a great chance to get to the second round.”

Having not won a single game in the FA Cup for six years prior to this season, Walters admits he couldn’t really envisage making it through four rounds to get this far.

“Having had such a bad record, of course it means that much more to everybody really and hopefully it will be a fantastic day on Saturday.

“The players and management have done brilliantly. They can all feel very proud of what they’ve achieved and I hope the players can really enjoy the day on Saturday.”

The £27,500 that United have earned so far from the FA’s prize fund has also come in very handy. A further £18,000 is at stake on Saturday.

See tomorrow’s Hastings Observer for the full article.