‘It’s my best moment in football’

PAUL Michael weighed up the enormity of his Yate Town team’s FA Cup accomplishment and laughed: “It’s just been crazy.”

James Harding’s back-post conversion on 75 minutes proved enough to overcome National League strugglers Dover at the fourth qualifying hurdle to set up a mouth-watering first-round tie at home to Yeovil Town next weekend.

Tuesday night’s replay was watched by a Lodge Road turnout of nearly 1,000; and now the race is on to prepare for an even bigger gathering given the West derby on show and all that is at stake.

Boss Michael said: “The wellwishes have been amazing. You dream of these things; that’s why you do what you do and ride the ups and downs football provides, to create memories for yourself and people you work with.

“It fills me with pride how everyone, especially the players, gained so much joy from Tuesday night’s experience.

“It was certainly my biggest and best moment in football.

“The fact we’re now building up to a West Country derby makes it an even bigger deal.”

Having finally shaken off ailing Dover to advance Yate to the first round for only the second time in their 114-year history, Michael was left reflecting: “Despite their struggles, Dover definitely had some quality there and they had a better share of possession this time too, without troubling us too much. In the end we edged it by having that extra penetration and ruthlessness.

“James Harding showed so much composure to take a touch and score from close range, yet showed so little composure with his celebration, not knowing what to do! It was pandemonium and set up the longest last 15 minutes, and six torturous minutes of stoppage-time, of my life.

“The pitch invasion on the final whistle told you what it meant to everyone in the home camp.”

The Yate boss is now charged with bringing his charges back to earth, firstly for tomorrow’s FA Trophy third round qualifier at home against Southern League Division One South side Willand Rovers and then Tuesday night’s clash, again on home soil, with eighth-placed Salisbury.

In the meantime, Michael is acutely aware off-field arrangements for the Yeovil clash cannot be delayed. “There’s no doubting that our people behind the scenes will have their hands full,” he admitted.