FA Cup tie away at higher-league Cheshunt is a 'free hit' for Stowmarket Town
Paul Musgrove views Stowmarket Town’s trip to higher-league Cheshunt, in the Emirates FA Cup preliminary round this weekend, as a free hit, writes Alex Moss.
The Old Gold and Blacks travel to Hertfordshire having won their last four games in all competitions, but will face a stern test against a Cheshunt side who gained promotion to the BetVictor Isthmian Premier Division, at Step 3, this season.
A win for Stow tomorrow (3pm) would see them reach the first qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in 18 years, but assistant manager Musgrove says they will go into the clash with an open mind.
“I said a couple of weeks ago it will be a good barometer of where we are as a team,” Musgrove said.
“They’re two leagues higher than us, so it will just be interesting to see where we are right now.
“And also to see how we adjust to the different style of football. Cheshunt will go into it as the favourites.
“They’ll play a certain way and it will be interesting to see how we deal with it. It’s a free hit for us and it will be good for people to express themselves in a different way.
“It will be a bit more direct and physical, but I’m excited for the fans. They get another away day, which they all seem to enjoy, and we’ll learn from it in several ways.”
After having a rare August weekend without a fixture, Stow returned to action on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win against Newmarket Town at Greens Meadow.
Josh Mayhew grabbed both of the goals, a penalty in the 70th minute followed by a header eight minutes later, while his strike partner Christy Finch saw his 75th-minute spot kick saved.
That win moved Rick Andrews’ side back up to second in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division table, but wins for both Woodbridge Town and Stanway Rovers on Wednesday pushed them down to fourth.
Following tomorrow’s FA Cup tie at Cheshunt, Stow resume their league campaign with a trip to Suffolk rivals Brantham Athletic on Tuesday night (7.45pm).
