Lowestoft's Ady Gallagher feels they are underdogs at Whitley Bay.
Whitley Bay v Lowestoft Town
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Semi-Final first leg
3pm, Saturday 28 March 2009
Hillheads Park, Whitley Bay FC
Winners will receive £7,000 from The FA
Click here for the full Semi-Final line-up
Lowestoft Town joint-manager Ady Gallagher reckons he knows a thing or two about how Sir Alex Ferguson feels - even though their clubs are a long way apart on the football pyramid.
Lowestoft travel to Whitley Bay on Saturday for the first leg of The FA Vase Semi-Final knowing victory would be a giant leap towards a memorable treble haul of trophies.
The Suffolk side are 17 points clear at the top of the Eastern Counties Premier Division and are already in the final of the Suffolk Premier Cup. So, like Ferguson's Manchester United side, they have their sights on a clean sweep - with The Vase top of the wish-list.
"I think The Vase is particularly special," Gallagher said. "It is different to the Suffolk Cup, and in the League you can get away with the odd blip providing you are consistent the whole year. But one bad performance in The Vase and you are out - simple.
"We have had a good season up until now but there is a lot of football still to be played. If you take anything for granted all those good things can get snatched away from you.
"We have players in our side who have been successful on many different levels, so we know we have the mental strength to cope with difficult ties. We have enough characters to keep players' feet on the ground and get the right performances out of each other."
Lowestoft ended Whitley's interest in The Vase at the same stage last year, before suffering Final heartache at the hands of Kirkham and Wesham. However, this time around, Gallagher believes his team will be underdogs for the Semi-Final.
"Whitley have a tradition of doing well in this competition, they have won it before, are in a competitive league and, despite the fact we have done really well in our league, they are not an opposition to underestimate at all," he added.
"Last year we played as underdogs in nearly every round and I suppose this time, although we have played some excellent opposition, because of our league form and the fact we have been at home, teams look upon us as favourites.
"But I actually think we are underdogs in this tie."
