Hucknall Town targeting cup success after impressive league start
Hucknall Town begin their FA Cup campaign this weekend with a trip to Northamptonshire side Desborough Town in the extra preliminary round.
And they do so with confidence after making it two wins from two games at the start of the GCE Fleet Hire United Counties League Premier Division North with a 2-0 success at AFC Mansfield.
Gabriel Ebede and Callum Orange netted for the Yellows to give management duo Jonathan D’Laryea and Rudy Funk a win against their old team.
D’Laryea said: “We knew at times it would not be pretty and that we had to work hard, be nasty and frustrate them, then wait for them to make mistakes.
"We asked the lads to trust in our game plan.
"Rudy went to watch them and I have seen plenty of them over the years and we had an idea of what to do to win the game.
"The lads executed that to a tee.
"We can come up with a strategy, but it is up to the players to actually do it, and they did it brilliantly.
Funk added: “It was a classic away performance.
"Whether you are away or at home, you need some tactical knowledge, and you have to set the team up in the way you want to play.
"Every game is different, but we do our homework.
"At the end of the day, that is probably why we have played two and won two so far.
"When you do your homework, you get so much information.
"To be perfectly honest, over the years we have accumulated a lot of collaborative experience.
"You cannot buy that, and at the moment we have plenty of it.
Attention now turns to Saturday and the FA Cup at Desborough, who are in Premier Division South and have also made a 100 per cent start to the season.
D’Laryea said: “I can’t wait, it’s the FA Cup and Rudy and I have a lot of good memories in the competition.
"We want to create more for the players because it is all about them.
"We can talk about our plans and strategies, but our job is to help them achieve.
"So, the FA Cup, we cannot wait.”