Chelmsford City face their toughest possible home game in this season’s FA Trophy as they play host to Blue Square Premier promotion favourites Oxford United on Saturday.
But Head Coach Glenn Pennyfather insists “It won’t be all-out defence from us” as he prepares to lead his team out at Melbourne.
The Clarets will enter the field against a side who are most bookies’ tips for a long-awaited elevation back to the Football League though Pennyfather is confident in his own team’s abilities, stating: “We’ve got to have a go at them and we’re certainly not frightened. It’s a win-win game for us because we can go out there and enjoy the atmosphere and the occasion without anyone expecting us to beat Oxford. Our squad is capable and we know we will need to be on top of our game if we’re going to be victorious, but we know we can be.”
Rumours that the Trophy could be an unwelcome distraction for the visitors have also been put to bed by Pennyfather, who offers an alternative outlook as he keeps his fingers crossed over the fitness of several of his key players. “Maybe it will be a distraction for them but it will be a good distraction if they start winning,” he said. “They’re in a similar position to us because if they get through a few rounds it could build their confidence and catapult their league form. I’ve said from the very start that we want to do well in this competition as it’s one we have a realistic chance of winning.”
Recent results suggest that Chelmsford are becoming stuck in a patch of poor form, losing 2-1 and 1-0 respectively at home to Basingstoke Town and Staines Town in their last two league fixtures as injuries hit the squad. Yet a place in the quarter-finals and £7,000 of prize money for the club add further incentives for the players to succeed, Pennyfather adding: “We’ve had a couple of dodgy results recently but I was impressed with how the squad reacted on Monday to the criticism I gave them the previous Saturday. I know that in the end the honesty of our team will come through.”
