We’ll face one of the National League’s “powerhouses” when Chesterfield visit us tomorrow.
That's the view of our Assistant Manager Terry Skiverton, ahead of the match versus a side currently third in the National League. Though we’re on a ten-game unbeaten run, Saturday’s visitors to Plough Lane are flying high in the league below us after eight games unbeaten – including getting the better of League Two rivals Northampton in the previous round.
“They're one of the powerhouses of the division,” said Terry. “They’ve been in the Football League before and they've got a great pedigree. We need to stand up to them because they don’t know what defeat looks like recently. They’re on a hell of a run, but so are we, so something has got to give.”
“I know three of their players from my time at Yeovil Town. Striker Joe Quigley, we sold to Chesterfield, midfielder Tom Whelan played for us, and so did forward Kabongo Tshimanga. Paul Cook is a very experienced manager, alongside a good assistant in Danny Webb. They set their teams up to be very expansive and they create a lot of chances.
“I know what the figures were when we sold Joe Quigley to Chesterfield and Tshimanga didn’t go cheap either. There are a lot of clubs with a lot of pulling power in that division and it’s no small club we’re facing. We’re mindful of that.”
“We’re on a good run. We’re positive and on the front foot. No doubt they’ll be looking at our strengths and how we’re playing at the moment and be thinking the same things as us. Hopefully, we have a really partisan atmosphere with the Wombles getting behind us and our boys are ready for it. We’re not underestimating them and we’re ready to go out and fight for the cause.
“Everybody in the squad is stepping up. Even when we’ve made changes, the team functions in the same way. The shape looks the same and in and out of possession looks the same. Runs like this can be few and far between. We have to milk it as much as we can and see how far we can go. Our mind is on this game - to keep the run going - but most importantly with our cup tradition we want to make sure that we get through to the next round.”
While we’re still without defender Chris Gunter, who is on international duty, and parent club Huddersfield don’t want on loan forward Kyle Hudlin involved, there have been encouraging developments with defenders Paul Osew and Lee Brown. Both were back out on the grass training with physio Tim Maynard.
“They’ve been out doing light work,” added Terry. "They’re ahead of schedule and it’s good to see them out there. With the run that we’re on and everyone buoyant, they’ll want to be a part of it. They’ve got to be patient and ready, but they’ll be welcomed back because they are both excellent players.”
You can listen to the full interview with Assistant Manager Terry Skiverton ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup second tie below, via the link to our official YouTube channel.