Boss Mansell aims for first round proper

GLOUCESTER City boss Lee Mansell has targeted a place in the first round proper ahead of the start of the club’s 2022-23 FA Cup journey at Hungerford today, writes Keith Watson.

The Tigers, in common with fellow sixth-tier sides Taunton, Hereford, Chippenham and Bath, enter the competition in today’s second qualifying round, and must win three matches in order to be in the draw for a possible tie against English Football League opposition in round one.

Derby, Ipswich, Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday are among the former FA Cup winners who could provide the opposition at that stage of the competition.

However, Gloucester have much work to do before they need to worry about that, starting at National League South outfit Hungerford this afternoon.

On the prospect of a cup run, Mansell told the official Tigers website: “It’s going to be a long hard road, but I think we’ve got to try to get to the stage where we get to the first round and play a Football League club.

“We’ve got a really tough test at Hungerford first. Obviously we played (at home) in pre-season. Now we’re going to their place, which isn’t a great surface. They’re going to be very direct.”

Loan players Ollie Hulbert and Harrison Minturn impressed in the midweek victory over Telford, but it remains to be seen if the teenagers are allowed to play in the cup by their parent clubs.

Gloucester look to have the trickiest tie of the sixth tier sides, with elsewhere Bath City and Chippenham hosting Southern League opposition in Hartley Wintney and Sholing respectively, while Hereford and Taunton also have home games against lowerdivision sides in Bromsgrove Sporting and Laverstock & Ford respectively.

Elsewhere, Bishop’s Cleeve have a good opportunity to progress as the Southern League Division One South side host Toolstation outfit Helston, while Yate, who reached the first round proper last season, welcome Tiverton to Lodge Road.

Shepton Mallet, who have won six games out of six in the Premier Division of the Toolstation League go to Weston-super-Mare, who themselves lead the Southern League Premier Division, two levels higher. Paulton travel to Gosport, Cirencester are away to Merthyr, Salisbury host Oxford City, and Swindon Supermarine entertain Dorchester.