Peters concedes third round draw could have been kinder
Maidenhead United FC: Assistant boss says United won't be fooled by Weymouth's poor start to the season
Ryan Peters admits Maidenhead United could have been handed an easier draw in the third round of the FA Trophy but says the Magpies will have to beat the best sides if they’ve got any ambition of going deep into the competition.
With the Magpies comfortably sitting in the top half of the National League table following an excellent start to the season this could be the year for a good run in the Trophy, however, newly promoted Weymouth will be looking to thwart those hopes this Saturday (December 19).
United will visit the Bob Lucas Stadium this weekend off the back of 10-days rest following their 2-1 defeat to league leaders Torquay United on Tuesday last week. Having exited the competition to lower league Halesowen Town last season Maidenhead will be keen to produce a positive result against the Terras who have so far struggled for form in the National League this season. However, Peters says their position in the league will mean nothing come 3pm on Saturday.
“You always hope you could get a draw with a team from a lower division but ultimately you’re going to have to come up against some good sides if you want to make it to the final,” he said.
“Weymouth are a strong side, they’re in our league, and
it will give us a chance to have a look at them prior to playing them in the league as well.
“Whoever we come up against we’d like to think we’re at a stage now where we could go there and put in a performance and hopefully
come away with a victory.
“It’s definitely a tough game though, and we’re not looking at anyone at anyone towards the bottom of the table and thinking it’s going to be an easy game. They could produce three wins in a row and
be right where we are now, so we’re not about to think of them as lesser opponents because of where they sit in the table. That would be silly of us.”
Peters is happy for the squad to take their focus off the league campaign for a week or so and says Saturday’s tie will enable players who need minutes to get them while offering others a much-needed rest. He also believes Weymouth may use the competition to try and kick-start their league form.
“We’re able to put the league to one side now and will concentrate on winning as many games as we can to try and get to the final of this competition,” he said. “We’re not going to take Weymouth or this competition lightly. It’s a chance to get some of these boys who’ve been out for some time back in the squad, but it’s also a chance to give some much-needed rest to boys that need it.
“If you had made a bad start in the league, you’d maybe be targeting this cup to change your fortunes. It depends on how each manager looks at it.
“With our gaffer, absolutely nothing changes, whether we were right at the top of the league or at the bottom, we would approach it to get another victory and good performance. Nothing is going to change; we have a fantastic squad so every boy has to play their way into contention and equally every boy could play their way out of contention.
“Any team we put together we would hope can put on a good show and be able to come away with some plaudits.”