Horsham boss: We know how difficult it will be
Horsham manager Dom Di Paola says his side will look to give Hawks a stern test in this Sunday’s FA Cup tie.
Due to the Hawks’ new 3G surface at Westleigh Park not being ready, the second qualifying round tie has been switched to Bognor’s Nyewood Lane (3pm).
Di Paola considers the game as a chance to find some winning form after back-toback home Isthmian League Premier defeats in the past week.
The Hornets - who play a level below Hawks in the non-league pyramid - lost 2-1 to Cheshunt last weekend before a goal from ex-Baffins player Ashton Leigh gave Bognor a 1-0 Sussex derby win on Tuesday.
That left them with just one point from their opening three league games following a 1-1 draw at Leatherhead.
Horsham did beat divisional rivals Kingstonian in the first qualifying round and Di Paola says the draws are not being kind to his team.
'We'll go out and do our best against Havant but I'd rank them as one of the few teams who are favourites to go up from that division, so we know how difficult it will be,’ he said.
'We know plenty about them and I wouldn't think the switch to a neutral ground will make a lot of difference.
‘There would not have been any fans had it been at their ground anyway.
'We did offer to stage the tie at home and let Havant have the home team's share of the proceeds, but they didn't want to.'
Midfielder Lewis Taylor - formerly of Dorking - misses out with a one-match ban and Di Paola has around half a dozen on the treatment table.
The last time Hawks exited the FA Cup as early as the second qualifying round was in 2013/14. On that occasion they were beaten by fellow step 3 club Gloucester City in a replay. The previous season Hawks had been embarrassed at the same stage by lower division North Leigh.
This weekend’s tie is Hawks’ fourth successive home FA Cup draw - last season they beat lower tier pair Hadley and Taunton before losing to National League South rivals Dulwich Hamlet.