Casey: It will be like playing the Liverpool FC of step five

[Alan Beckett]

Casey: It will be like playing the Liverpool FC of step five
Writes the Coleshill Herald

PAUL Casey admits he faces his greatest test as a manager this weekend and says he can't wait.

Casey's Coleshill Town side travel to the North East to take on Dunston UTS in the fourth round of the FA Vase.

The magnitude of the challenge is clear given that Dunston won the FA Vase at Wembley at the end of the 2011-12 campaign.

Casey said: "It's a massive tie for us, really huge.

"We are talking about a team who are the equivalent of a Liverpool or Tottenham in step five of non-league football.

"Your Spennymoor Towns and Whitley Bays are the Man United and Chelseas but Dunston are right up there with the best at this level of non-league.

"They have won the FA Vase at the end of the day and so they are a very good side.

"It will be an incredibly tough game – our biggest test of the season – but we are a good side as well.

"We have had a great season so far and we are looking forward to what will be a great occasion for us.

"The lads will be buzzing for this game.

"They are really excited and I am not sure some of them will be able to sleep in the build-up!

"We will make a real weekend of it and hopefully come away with a positive result."

Although Dunston will be the clear favourites, especially with home advantage, Casey believes his side just need to focus on themselves.

"We have watched Dunston and they are excellent," he said. "They really are top drawer.

"But we will just focus on us. We need to make sure we don't make any mistakes.

"We need to keep a good shape, keep things tight and make the most of our set-pieces when we have the chance."

Casey admits, however, that his side will have to be a lot better than they were against Loughborough University last weekend.

Coleshill were beaten 6-4 and Casey admitted: "It was a shambles in the second half.

"The Dunston manager was at the game so goodness knows what he thought when he left!

"Maybe we were distracted by the fact we had the FA Vase game coming up. I don't know.

"All I know is that it wasn't up to our usual high standards.

"The players didn't perform to the standards they have set for themselves during the campaign so far. Hopefully we can respond this weekend.

"This is where our big players need to step up to the plate and deliver and I believe we have some big players here."

Dean Rathbone (neck) and Declan Kirby (hamstring) should be available for the game this weekend while Danny Tymon returns from suspension.