WE’VE GOT REASON TO BE HOPEFUL
JAI REASON says Dover Athletic know they are up against a different animal in Peterborough United – but believes they can take heart from overcoming another League One side in Southend United.
The Whites upset the Shrimpers in the first round and will now travel to Cambridgeshire full of belief.
Posh’s front three of Ivan Toney, Marcus Maddison and Mo Eisa is the hottest around and Andy Hessenthaler’s men will have their work cut out.
Reason, however, hopes the magic of the FA Cup touches the Kent club once again.
“I’ve been on the both ends of a cup upset,” Reason told The NLP. “With Southend – and being from around there – I could sense it and what was being said in the press – I just had this feeling.
“But I think Peterborough are a different animal. Sir Alex Ferguson’s son [Darren] is manager, they’ve got the most prolific front three in football and it’s a massive club – but it’s going to be a good day out for Dover. We’ve got to go there, enjoy ourselves but not get too caught up in it all and, with a bit of that FA Cup luck, you never know.
“These tiny margins can end up as big things, especially for a club like us. We know what we can do – we know what we’re coming up against, a League One club with the hottest strikers in the game so it’s going to be tough but we’ll give everything.”
Former Cambridge United, Braintree and Maidstone man Reason has previous in the FA Cup, most recently with Eastleigh where they reached the third round two years running.
In 2015-16, they beat Crewe Alexandra on the way to earning a third round replay before the next year seeing off Swindon and eventually playing Championship side Brentford.
And the 29-year-old former England C midfielder says they are moments to cherish in a career.
“Knocking Southend out was a great day for the club,” Reason said. “I’m coming up to 30 now and you don’t know how many more days like that will come, so I do cherish these days that little bit more.”