Gallagher's turnaround

The FA Carlsberg Vase
Semi-Final second leg
3pm, Saturday 4 April 2009
Crown Meadow, Lowestoft Town FC
Winners will receive £7,000 from The FA

Lowestoft Town joint-manager Ady Gallagher is confident the Suffolk side can overturn a 2-1 deficit from their FA Vase Semi-Final first leg against Whitley Bay - and has told his players to stay patient.

The Eastern Counties Premier Division side trailed by two goals in the first leg before Jamie Godbold's volley reduced the arrears.

Lowestoft beat Whitley Bay 4-0 at home when the pair met in last season's Semi-Final and, even though Gallagher is not expecting a similar stroll, he is convinced that his side can return to Wembley.

"I felt we were a little bit unlucky in the first leg," he explained.

"It's a bit of an uphill battle now, but there is no reason to be concerned about it and the simple fact is that we have to win the game.

"What happened last year is now gone and we know that it won't be easy, but we have played a lot of good teams this season and beaten them so there is every reason to believe in ourselves that we can get the result we need.

"However, this game does not have to be won in the first 10 minutes. If we win 1-0 it will go to extra-time and I thought we looked very fit towards the end of the first leg.

"So if it goes longer than the regulation 90 minutes, I feel that we would be very strong.

"We certainly don't have to go all-out attack and it would be crazy to over-commit ourselves in the first few minutes."

Whitley Bay will prepare for the match on Saturday at Norwich City's Colney training ground after they arranged for Lowestoft to use Newcastle United's Academy facilities in the build-up to the first game.

"Whitley organised for us to train at Newcastle's pitches for an hour-and-a-half on the Friday and that was absolutely fantastic," Gallagher explained.

"We have been able to sort something out with Norwich in return and that will provide them with an equally top-notch set-up."