HATT’S THE TOP PICK FOR CRAIG
NO SOONER had Cheshunt landed a plum tie at Stockport County was manager Craig Edwards watching footage of their top-flight opposition, before realising it was a bad idea.
“I don’t think I’m going to watch too much more,” he told The NLP, “because it’s a bit frightening!”
The Isthmian League Premier promotion hopefuls face a massive challenge up against the National League title favourites – but it’s a clash they will relish.
“It’s arguably the biggest Non-League club in the country,” said Edwards. “They’ve got a massive budget, massive fanbase, the stadium is unreal. They’ve lost two of their last 15 games and one of those was against a League One side. We know it’s going to be absolute mammoth task.”
But Cheshunt are in fine form themselves having lost just once in their previ19 matches. Their most impressive win came last weekend when they beat National League South club St Albans City 3-0 to reach the fifth round for the first time in their history.
Stockport will be their sixth match of their Trophy adventure and if they are finally beaten there then it will be a fitting place for the run to end.
“It’s something we’ll all remember,” said Edwards. “We keep pushing boundaries and long may that continue. I said after the miracle Hornchurch achieved last year that no one at our level would do that for another 50 years but I’m sincerely hoping I’ve got that wrong.
“It will be a massive ask for us but we’ll give it our best shot – no one gave us a chance against St Albans, that was like a dream.
“I came out of the dressing room afterwards and there must have been five or six people I spoke to who had a different man of the match. All the boys performed and rose to the occasion.”
Achievements
Cheshunt are excelling on all fronts with ties in both the Hertfordshire Senior Cup and Isthmian Velocity Cup to come while in the mix for a play-off place. The tie with Stockport has to be parked for now.
“We’ve got some huge games before we play them,” said Edwards. “We’re playous ing on the next nine Tuesdays too. We’re taking the other cups seriously as well. There’s a hell of a lot to play for and the boys have put themselves in that position. They’ve been unbelievable.”
Edwards has managed the likes of Barkingside, Barking, Grays, Ford, Chelmsford, Dulwich and Billericay over more than two decades in management – and is still ticking off achievements.
“I’ve had FA Cup first round games but never really had a substantial Trophy run,” he said. “There was a couple of draws I really didn’t want because they’d have been equally as tough but not as glamourous. This is the furthest I’ve gone, long may it continue.”