RUGBY TOWN manager Carl Adams insists his team will show “no fear” as they prepare to face North Shields in the fifth round of the FA Vase.
Valley have enjoyed a memorable run in the competition this season and are expected to take 150 supporters to Tyneside.
The club famously lifted the trophy back in 1983 and this weekend’s clash marks Rugby’s biggest cup tie for many years.
Adams said: “There’s definitely a feeling of excitement in the dressing room and around the club as a whole.
“We said from the outset that we will have no fear and we are looking forward to getting up there and having a real go at it.
“I accept that we are regarded as underdogs for the game, mainly due to the fact that northern clubs have done well in the competition over recent years.
“Both teams play at the same level of the pyramid and our form over the past four months has been very good.
“We’ve had them scouted and think we know what their strengths are and how they like to play.
“We also know what to expect with regards to the crowd, we have plenty of experience out there and I believe we will be able to cope with it on the day.”
However, Town will be without skipper Loyiso Recci after the defender limped off with a fractured metatarsal in their 3-2 win against Bugbrooke St Michael in which David Kolodynski scored an 83rd minute winner.
That came after Danico Johnson opened the scoring on 18 minutes after he held off his marker before finishing low past Bugbrooke keeper Jake Bull.
And Adam Shaw doubled Rugby’s lead on 57 minutes when he prodded home from Dan Summerfield’s teasing cross.
However, Bugbrooke halved the deficit through Eddie Panter’s penalty on 65 minutes before Ash Bodycote punched the ball into his own net on 82 minutes.
Valley snatched the points from the restart when Kolodynski exchanged passes with Shaw before scoring from 10-yards out.
Adams was left frustrated by Recci’s injury: “It’s a big blow for sure, but we do have Jamal [Clarke] to come back in to the defence.
“It’s particularly frustrating, as I was about to withdraw Loyiso when we were two up, but decided to keep him on when Bugbrooke scored their first.
“Then to compound matters we had to play out the game with 10-men after he got injured as we’d made all our substitutes.”
Rugby’s clash with North Shields takes place on Saturday, February 12 with kick-off at 3pm at the Daren Persson Stadium.
