Mander out to cause FA Cup shock (From Halesowen News)

Mander out to cause FA Cup shock

3:30pm Thursday 23rd August 2012 in Football

ADRIAN Mander admits he knows nothing about Cradley Town’s next FA Cup opponents.

But the Hammers boss believes his in-form side can pull off a shock when they host North West Counties League outfit Norton United in Saturday’s preliminary round.

Cradley go into the game on the back of an excellent 4-2 win over AFC Wulfrunians in West Midlands Premier Division and Mander says his players have nothing to lose.

He said: “It’s going to be a great test for us and a chance to see how we cope against a side from a higher league.

“It’s great for the club to be involved in games like this and if we win the financial benefits are huge.

“We know absolutely nothing about them as a team and we are going into it blind.

“But we are in great form and if we play to our best I can’t see any reason we can’t get the win.”

Tuesday’s win over the previously-unbeaten Wulfs moved Cradley up to second and raised expectations of a challenge for the title this term.

Second-half goals from Will Tibbetts, Jason Barton and Chris Russell helped Mander’s side fight back from a 2-1 half-time deficit.

He said: “To be fair they could have been out of sight by half-time. They were a lot better than us.

“They had a couple of chances in the final five minutes of the first-half and had those gone in we would have been really up against it.

“But in the second-half we came back brilliantly. It was a huge win for us, a massive one.”

Cradley return to league action on Tuesday when they host Dudley Sports.

Causeway United broke their duck in the Midland Alliance with a 2-1 win over Ellsmere Rangers last Saturday and followed it up with a 1-1 draw at Boldmere St Michaels on Tuesday.

Carl Burley’s men travel to Heather St Johns on Saturday before a trip to Bridgnorth Town on Tuesday.