Injury-hit Hornets to face in-form Potters Bar

Tony Nwachukwu has been added to the ‘struggling’ category with a knee problem, Darren Boswell faces a fitness test on a hamstring injury and Ollie Gill is still struggling with a stomach injury.

Alex Duncan is a new addition to the sidelines as he is out for up to two weeks after having an operation on Monday on his broken nose sustained against Cray Wanderers.

Adam Hunt underwent an operation on his stomach problem this week and is six to eight weeks away, while Mark Knee has suffered a set-back and remains long-term sidelined.

The Hornets travel to Evo Stik League Division 1 Central outfit Potters Bar on Saturday in the preliminary round of the trophy.

Horsham boss Di Paola says they don’t know a lot about their Hertfordshire hosts, but is expecting a tough clash.

He said: “They are bang in form and doing well in their league and the FA Cup, so credit to them. It would have been nice to play them last year when by all accounts they were struggling.

“We drew a Step 5 side in Sevenoaks in the FA Cup and then Potters Bar in the Trophy, we will probably get Whitehawk or Eastbourne Borough in the Senior Cup now.

“We normally like to get a bit of information or have them watched but we have not been able to. We are going into it a bit in the unknown.

“That is not necessarily a bad thing, maybe we can just go out there and play the game and not worry too much about what they are like.”

Having not played in ten days, Horsham have dropped to 17th in the Ryman South Division standings.

They return to league action away to East Grinstead on Tuesday night and Di Paola added: “They had suddenly got into form and won three of their last four.

“Then it’s Whyteleafe, who are just about to change their manager. It’s timings really this year – we have not been able to play someone at a time to beat them comfortably.

“They (East Grinstead) have really kicked on, but it’s an important game. Where we haven’t played everyone has caught up and we have dropped four places, it’s not looking so nice now.”

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