COVENTRY CITY MAIDENHEAD UNITED

WILY Alan Devonshire has long etched his name in FA Cup folklore – now he’s looking to add the tag of giant-killer to his glittering CV. The Maidenhead United manager still recalls the day in 1980 when West Ham United became the last club outside the top-flight to win the FA Cup when he set up Trevor Brooking to score the winner in a 1-0 victory over Arsenal. Today, Devonshire rekindles his love affair with the competition he so loves when his National League newcomers take on League 2 big guns Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena – arguably the most soughtafter tie in the first-round hat. The Sky Blues have experienced both the highs and lows of the cup, famously lifting the famous trophy in 1987 only to then be on the receiving end of the competition’s biggest ever shock two years later when they crashed 2-1 at Sutton United as a top-flight side. Aiming to reach the second round for the first time in 131 years, Maidenhead’s cup fairytale is hardly as compelling, but Devonshire insists the Magpies can re-write modern-day history and re-live the boss’ glory days. “It angers me when people devalue the FA Cup as, for me, it’s the best competition in the world,” he said. “I was lucky enough to play at the best stadium in the world [Wembley] four times in 10 months at West Ham as a second division side, and they were memories for life. If the players can draw inspiration from that, then fantastic, but all I can do is prepare the players properly to create their own memories. “It’s a good draw for us and we know if we play well enough then we have a chance. They’ll be confident, but if we can quieten the crowd for 20 minutes then we know they can get on their backs. We’re looking forward to it.”