Paul Gascoigne is hoping for a response from his players on Saturday.
By Russ Staves. Thursday, 24 November 2005.
The FA Trophy
Third Round Qualifying
Saturday 26 November 2005 - 3.00pm
England legend Paul Gascoigne has done most things in football, but a foray into the FA Trophy with his Kettering Town side on Saturday will be something new for the former Spurs and Lazio midfielder.
Gascoigne, who has scored in the London, Rome and Glasgow derbies during a glittering career which earned him 57 caps, will lead the Poppies into battle against Gainsborough Trinity in The Third Qualifying Round.
After watching his team lose 2-0 to Redditch United on Tuesday night - a performance which saw them squander their unbeaten league run since Gascoigne took over, the new boss craves an improved showing against Gainsborough.
"We have the opportunity in the FA Trophy to pick ourselves up and we are good enough to do that," he told the Non League Paper.
"We have had a defeat in the league but whenever you have a setback it is how you respond that matters. I will be asking the players for a big response on Saturday and I think I will get one," he added.
Kettering have yet to win The FA Trophy, although they did come close in 1979 when they lost to Stafford Rangers in front of 32,000 at Wembley.
Rangers are one of six clubs in the draw who have won the FA Trophy and of those, Kingstonian are one of only three sides to have retained the cup, winning in 1999 and 2000.
Marine, who used to boast Wayne Rooney's uncle Billy Morrey in their line-up, host Blyth Spartans, who once reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup in 1978.
A handful of other sides with FA Cup pedigree are out to secure their place in the next round. The most famous of those is Sutton, who were the last non-league side to knockout a top-flight club when they beat Coventry in 1989. They make the short journey to Uxbridge.
Eastbourne Borough and Weymouth, two more sides who have tasted FA Cup glory this year, have home draws against Thurrock and Havant & Waterlooville respectively while Harrogate Town, who lost on penalties to Torquay in this year's competition, have an away tie at Solihull Borough.
Histon and Nuneaton Borough, who meet in the Second Round of the FA Cup on 3 December, will have to shelve dreams of meeting one of the Premiership big guns for another seven days. They play Hinckley United and Nuneaton Borough respectively.
AFC Wimbledon will take their huge travelling support to Dartford, Folkestone Invicta, who can name Michael Howard as a fan, have been drawn at Harlow Town while former Nottingham Forest full-back Des Lyttle will play for Worcester City against Kendal Town.
We'll keep you up-to-date with all The Trophy action over the weekend.