WEMBLEY DREAM IS INSPIRING BRENNAN
DEAN BRENNAN doesn’t care how his side play if they reach the Isuzu FA Trophy semi-finals – but he knows they’ve got their work cut out with a trip to Bromley.
Ahead of this weekend the duo were only separated in the National League table on goal difference and looking to cement themselves in second and third to receive a play-off eliminator bye.
But the promotion race will be parked this coming Saturday when they face off in the final eight.
And Brennan doesn’t want to see his side’s run come to an end.
“We’ve gone strong in every FA Trophy game,” Brennan told The NLP. “I won it as a player back in 2004-05 with Grays – it was a fantastic competition to win.
“It’s the same for these lads. It’s an unbelievable opportunity. We were unlucky back then as Wembley was being renovated so we played at Villa Park.
“But this is an opportunity to go to Wembley. You’re two games away and that’s how we’re taking it.
“We’ve probably got the toughest draw we could have got with Bromley away! It’s a cup competition so I don’t really care how we play it’s just trying to get into the semi-finals.
“We know it will be difficult. Woody’s teams are very organised and they’ve got some really good finishers in Michael Cheek and Louis Dennis.
It’s a tough challenge.”
Brennan’s Bees reached the semis last year only to lose to Gateshead, who went onto finish runners-up to FC Halifax Town.
Does that still sting for the former Hemel Hempstead and Wealdstone manager?
“Not really, we moved on,” Brennan said. “As a squad our strength and depth has improved massively. We’ve got a lot of injuries at the minute but it shows where we’ve ticked over and managed to win the majority of games.
“We walked this road last year. We lost the playoffs at home to Boreham Wood and we lost away on penalties at Gateshead. We want to go a bit further down the road than we did last year and I think the experience of that should help us.”
Brennan, of course, has experience of winning the competition as a player when Mark Stimson’s all-conquering Grays Athletic side – featuring the likes of Mitchell Cole and Gary Hooper – beat Hucknall Town on penalties.
“We were in full control and then they got a goal out of nothing,” Brennan recalled. “The penalty shoot-out was fantastic – Ashley Bayes did great for us.
“In the semi-final we beat Burton Albion 5-0 at home in the first leg and then we went away and won 2-0. In the quarter-final we beat Exeter 4-0 at home.
“We beat some really good sides on that run and we were a Conference South team at the time.
“We all knew the players we had. Obviously a lot went on to be EFL players – if not the majority.
“We had great team spirit. I remember it was like yesterday, that’s the crazy thing – it was 19 years ago!
“I say to my players all the time, with success you’ll always remember each other. It binds you together forever. Hopefully we can have some real success this year.”
Last season’s finalists Gateshead host National League North Peterborough Sports, who dumped out Kidderminster Harriers last time out.
Player-boss Michael Gash hit the winner to knock out his former side and send the Step 2 Turbines into the quarter-finals for the first time.
The all-Step 3 clash sees Macclesfield – with new manager Michael Clegg at the helm – welcome Coalville Town, who have a new face in thge dug-out themselves in Ian King.
Meanwhile, Solihull Moors make the trip to fellow National League side