Woking FA Cup clash 'another milestone' for Horsham

Manager Dominic Di Paola is relishing the prospect of leading Horsham to another milestone this Saturday.
Horsham will be hoping for more scenes of celebration when they host Woking in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round this Saturday. Picture by Derek Martin and PhotographyHorsham will be hoping for more scenes of celebration when they host Woking in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round this Saturday. Picture by Derek Martin and Photography
Horsham will be hoping for more scenes of celebration when they host Woking in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round this Saturday. Picture by Derek Martin and Photography

The Hornets welcome National League outfit Woking in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round.

It is the first time Horsham have reached this stage of the grand old competition since the 2008-09 campaign.

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Victory will see the Hornets reach the first round proper for the first time since their famous Cup run in 2007-08.

And Di Paola was looking forward to creating more memories in Saturday’s tie.

He said: “I know the club is absolutely buzzing for this game. All they’ve ever talked about since I’ve been at the club is the FA Cup run. They’re the memories that will always live with you.

“We’re expecting a tough game against a really good side. It’ll be a brilliant occasion for the club.

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“We’re five full seasons in and it’s another first, to get that sort of game in at the new ground.

“We’re one round off the first, and it’ll be a huge giant killing if we do get a result.

“I’m fairly certain it’ll be the biggest crowd we’ve had since we’ve opened the new ground.

“As a management team, it’s another milestone to add to what we’ve done in the past.”

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When Di Paola was appointed in 2015, Horsham were in the doldrums.

The Hornets were relegated to the Sussex County League for the first time since 1951 and their application to build a new ground on the outskirts of town were unanimoulsy rejected by Horsham District Council.

But six years, two promotions, and a sparkling new stadium later, the Hornets are a club on the up - exemplifed by their Cup clash with Woking.

Di Paola added: “If you look where we’ve come from since the relegation out of step four, we got two promotions in four seasons to get back to step three.

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“We’ve had some good moments at step three but I think we’re still growing at this level.

”To have this Cup run as well, it’s just adding layers onto what we’ve done while we’ve been at the club.

“I think we’ve brought a lot of good times back to the club, and so have the players.”