LEE CLARK insists Town will have to come through a big battle to book themselves a place in the glamorous FA Cup third round.
The Galpharm side will travel to either League II Port Vale, who knocked out Town 4-3 at the Galpharm Stadium in last season’s first round, or Conference front-runners Stevenage Borough in the second round on the last weekend of this month.
Those two will replay at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium a week tomorrow after a 1-1 first-round draw at Vale Park on Saturday, just 24 hours after Town had walloped Dagenham & Redbridge 6-1 to make it into the hat.
“It’s disappointing that we haven’t got another home draw, but we’ve just got to get on with it,” said Clark, whose side are in League I action at home to Wycombe on Saturday (12.05).
“Whoever we end up playing will present us with a tough away task and we have to be prepared for that.
"The big incentive, of course, is to make it into the third round for the chance to play one of the big boys, and that’s the sort of challenge you want as a manager, a staff and a group of players.
“But we can’t start even thinking about that at this stage. All I can say is that if we get any kind of performance like we’ve had over the last four or five games then we will give ourselves every chance.”
Micky Adams’ Vale are mid-table in League II, while Graham Westley’s Stevenage are second in the Conference.
“I haven’t seen Vale this season but I have seen Stevenage at home. They are going well and they play good football with a lot of intensity,” said Clark. “We will do our homework on them, watch the replay and make sure we are ready for a battle, whoever we play.”
