CORSHAM Town are gearing up for the club’s biggest game in its 130-year history this weekend – an FA Vase quarter-final clash with Peacehaven and Telscombe.
The winner will be just one game from playing at Wembley Stadium and having a chance to land the club over £45,000 in tournament prize money.
But before heading off to measure up suits, Corsham must find a way past their Southern Combination Premier Division opponents in East Sussex on Saturday.
The Quarrymen are heading down to the small town between Brighton and Eastbourne on Friday night, ensuring they undertake the best preparation possible, and will be hoping to continue their miracle run into the last four with another win.
Looking ahead to what manager Kieran Baggs admitted “has to be labelled as our biggest game ever”, the Quarrymen’s boss said: “For so many years, Corsham were floating around in the lower leagues.
“We won promotion to the Hellenic League, and now we want to push on again.
“People can call us a successful team, but we have to back it up with something. Whether that be an FA Vase or a league title. If not a league title then a county cup or a league cup.
“The club has been set up really well behind the scenes to help us do that. We want to repay the faith the board, the sponsors, and the fans have shown in us by doing something special.”
READ: Corsham beat AFC Brixham on penalties to reach Vase last eight.
After scoring seven goals in their first two rounds, Peacehaven have only netted twice since and have relied on penalty shoot-outs to progress in the third and fifth round, respectively.
Meanwhile, Corsham have followed an almost identical recipe during their success – which included a win over Wiltshire rivals, Royal Wootton Bassett Town.
While there might not be much to choose between the pair in terms of form or league position, Baggs believes his side are the underdogs once again.
Nevertheless, the Corsham manager says his side’s experience in this situation may just edge the tie in the Wiltshire outfit’s favour.
Baggs said: “We’re looking at it as a free hit. We’ve been viewed as the underdogs in pretty much every game in the Vase this season, and this weekend will be no different.
“But we have people with experience of a Vase quarter-final. I took Melksham Town to the quarter-finals not too many years ago, and Corsham club captain, Mark Cooper was a part of that team. So were Rob Hobbs and Dan Demkiv plus a few others, so we have experience in this team.
“We believe in ourselves and the ability we have. Hopefully, we can pull off another upset and move within one game of Wembley.”
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