I’D GLOVE TO DO IT AGAIN!
Taye and giant-killing go hand-in-hand
TAYE ASHBY-HAMMOND is eyeing yet another FA Cup upset – after being the king of recent giant-killings.
The on-loan Fulham goalkeeper, 23, helped Boreham Wood to the fifth round of the competition last season, with a run which included victory at Bournemouth.
And he has now played his part in Stevenage’s charge to the fourth round after they claimed a shock win at Aston Villa earlier this month.
Now Ashby-hammond will travel with the Boro to Championship Stoke City tomorrow with just as much expectation as hope.
He said: “I have had some cracking games over the last two years. It might have been five with Boreham Wood last year and two this year, so my record is pretty good.
“An FA Cup run is one of the most special things you can have in English football.
“Just being there before every FA Cup game is very exciting. To play against some big teams when you’re a small one is great, when you are going into the later rounds.
“You want to test yourself. A team like Stoke is a real test.
“You really want to push against the teams just above you, but when you play the really big boys, you want to enjoy them as much as possible.
“Stoke clearly are a massive club with a huge history. We are huge underdogs even though we beat Villa in the last round. It’s slightly less of a task but it’s a massive test.
“It will be an extremely difficult game but we’re having a cracking season. And after beating Villa, we will be confident.”
A trip to Stoke is usually not relished by many visiting teams. But Ashby-hammond said: “In comparison to some of the places I’ve played, the Bet365 Stadium is as pristine as they come. I’ve played there once or twice so have experience.
“I’ve played in tough games in tough conditions. I’ve been to some rough grounds.
“This season we’ve played at Harrogate and it was blowing a gale, there was a slope and the pitch wasn’t the greatest.
“So playing on a carpet at Stoke will be slightly easier!”
Steve Evans’ Boro stunned Villa with two dramatic late goals to turn things around in round three, and this is shaping up to be the best season of their short 47-year history, as they sit a surprise second in League Two.
Ashby-hammond added: “I thought we were down and out.
“But if you watch all our games this season, we have managed to score late goals in about three or four games. That’s testament to how fit the team is. We wear teams down when we’re losing, we have that mental strength.
“It’s been a cracking season but will only finish that way if we go on to win the league or get promotion.
“We have a great set of characters and the game plan implemented by the manager has been a recipe for success.
“I’m really glad to be a part of it.”