Steve Bateman - Slough Town 'more than a match' for Gosport Borough

By Rob Stevens • Published 22 Oct 2012 17:55 0 Comments

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STEVE Bateman insists Slough Town can pull off an FA Cup upset by eliminating Gosport Borough at Privett Park on Tuesday (7:45pm kick off).

Gosport have twice beaten the Rebels in FA Trophy action but were held to a goalless draw by Bateman's team at Holloways Park on Sunday.

And, with a money-spinning trip to Mansfield Town awaiting the winners of the fourth qualifying round replay, Bateman insists Slough can keep their cup dream alive on the south coast.

Speaking to the Observer, he said: "I am just pleased more than anything, Gosport have seen us play properly now.

"We gave them a game on Sunday which we did not do in the Trophy, we've shown we're more than a match.

"I am just pleased we have shown we can mix it with Gosport as you would need to at this stage of the competition.

"Everyone has done incredibly well to get this far when you are certainly our level, there are some good sides in it already.

"We have been talking about revenge and we've got an opportunity like this to address it. We've gone some way towards that, but of course we want to win it now."

Bateman, however, admitted a draw was the right result after both teams squandered chances in a competitive affair at Holloways Park.

Boro Striker Justin Benett was particularly wasteful in front of goal while Slough's Ed Smith was twice unfortunate not to score - charging down Nathan Ashmore's clearance only for the loose ball to trickle wide and having a second-half header cleared off the line.

Rebels' supremo Bateman continued: "We had our chances, the keeper has saved one, there was a good block on the line and one or two shots flashed across goal.

"If anything, we need to be a little bit more clinical when those chances come.

"We restricted them to half chances. James Warrington stood up and made a good save but other than that, we did not allow them to trouble us.

"I thought we shaded the first half but a draw was probably a fair result."

Mansfield's opponents will now be decided by a replay at Privett Park, a fixture that, according to Bateman, should hold no fear for Slough.

He added: "We have got to go down there on Tuesday but it is no big deal. We'll get out of work early, prepare properly and we know we can give them a game now.

"Gosport have not won in six attempts at home and that is why they have dropped a little bit.

"We are hoping that we can make that run continue, it might play on their minds.

"They have had a couple of easy rides against us, certainly the game three weeks ago (4-0 defeat in the FA Trophy). But they did not on Sunday and they will hopefully get more of the same on Tuesday."

Bateman continued: "The draw has been made and the winners go to Mansfield which is probably not quite the tie that everybody would have hoped for.

"You would like to be Arlesey going to Coventry, but that is irrelevant until we get the job done.

"Mansfield will be a tough place to go, they are a Conference side going well and a former League club.

"I would love us to be in the first round proper. If we can just add a little bit more to what we did on Sunday we have got a chance. Gosport now know there is no walkover for them."

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