Eastbourne boss welcomes Worthing tie – but first come Concord and Dartford tests

The two National South rivals will go head to head next Saturday, October 1, at Woodside Road in the third qualifying round – and Danny cannot wait.

“It’s a brilliant draw. These are the matches you want to play. Of course, as each round is drawn, there’s half a wish in every manager’s mind to get the lowest ranked club, at home – but even that option can misfire and you’re suddenly facing a shock exit at the hands of a giant-killer.

But the next best is to be pitted against a known opponent, where you have to be prepared, focused, on your very best game.” But a tough ask, Danny? “It was a tough ask two years ago when we went to Dorking Wanderers, came away with a win, and progressed to the First Round Proper against Blackpool.

“Worthing are a known quantity – we know each other inside out. I’ve known most of their players since about age eight or nine, when they were playing at Albion Juniors with my son Teddy! Adam (Hinshelwood, Worthing manager) will be thinking exactly the same. He’s done a fantastic job there and we have great respect for each other.”

The two clubs met at Woodside Road on August Bank Holiday, when the Rebels snatched a point with a last-minute equaliser after the Sports had played out the final half-hour with ten men. Worthing, freshly promoted from the Isthmian Premier, have taken the National South in their stride and are currently unbeaten, although their early season fixture schedule may have smoothed the transition: six of their eight opponents so far have been in the lower half of the table.

Before the FA Cup excitement, Danny’s men face a less glamorous league trip to Concord Rangers tomorrow (Saturday). The Essex club are notoriously tough to beat on their own patch. “Every match has its challenges. We’ll be well prepared and very well focused,” declared the Priory Lane boss as he moved on from last Saturday’s Cup win over Uxbridge.

“We have players coming back to fitness, which is giving me options. For example, Jaden Perez had his first start of the season against Uxbridge and came through superbly. Up front we have missed the valuable options of Charlie Walker and Greg Luer, who are both closing in on a return.

“We earmarked a specific role for Greg this season: he leads the line in a very distinctive role. We started with a win at Oxford City, and we were winning the next match – against Bath City – when his hamstring forced him off. Now after expert and patient rehab treatment from our physio staff, Greg is ready to get the number 9 shirt on again.”

Then next Tuesday the Sports are on the road again - to Dartford, where the North Kent club is in quite a state of flux, after parting with Steve King in the summer. With a major reconstruction task, new manager Alan Dowson currently looks rather like a bricklayer short of mortar. His team were completely dismantled last Saturday by lower-league Beckenham Town in the FA Cup. But the Darts still have players of pedigree and Bloor's men will have to beat their best at Princes Park.