Paul Abrahams is sharing fond memories of playing at Wembley with his Brantham Athletic team as they prepare to take on high-flying East Preston in The FA Carlsberg Vase.
Former Colchester United forward Abrahams, now boss at the Eastern Counties League Premier Division club, has been to Wembley with the U's three times, including the 1997 Football League Trophy Final.
The 40-year-old insists that despite East Preston being in free-scoring form, there is no reason his side cannot achieve their "dream".
East Preston v Brantham Athletic
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Fourth Round Proper
7.45pm, Tuesday 21 January*
The Lashmar
Winners receive £2,000
*Match rearranged from 18 Jan due to waterlogged pitch
"To make it to Wembley that many times was certainly an achievement for me," said Abrahams. "I can’t tell my players enough that it’s incredible, and that this competition is winnable with intense preparation and hard work.
"It is very difficult to find any weak points with a side as good as East Preston.
"But we do have a good side and some very good players, and we will concentrate on the areas that we feel we’re strong in and hopefully that will cause problems on the day. We have a squad that I believe in."
However, Abrahams doesn’t believe that being tagged as the underdogs has relieved any pressure from Brantham, and sees the trip to West Sussex as the toughest test of the season so far.
He said: "There’s still pressure, and then there’s the enthusiasm and the nerves. You want that to be honest, but you have to make it work for you.
The FA Carlsberg Vase
"As far as East Preston are concerned they’re the favourites in every game they’re going into, so they’re used to handling the pressure and expectation."
"It’s as tough as it can be at this stage. East Preston’s league position [in the Sussex County League Division One] and consistency of results are exceptional. So I think them being away from home is the hardest draw we could have possibly got.
"But we have to beat the better teams to progress in the competition at some stage, so this is going to be a huge test for my squad."
