South Shields defender Gary Liddle has urged his side to ‘grasp the opportunity’ that lies in wait when they face Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup first round on Saturday. The Mariners have already enjoyed a productive run in the competition by seeing off Shildon, Workington, Marske United and, most notably, Scunthorpe United to reach the first round for only the second time in their history.
The BBC cameras will be on hand to witness a historic moment for Kevin Phillips’ men as they look to cause what would be a major upset against a side sat in the League One relegation zone. Former Hartlepool United centre-back Liddle admitted his side had already overcome ‘a real challenge’ to reach the first round and expressed his determination to make the most of Saturday’s eagerly-anticipated clash.
He told Chronicle Live: “It’s a bonus really. We said, first and foremost, the aim for the season is promotion and anything after that is a massive bonus. We wanted to get to the first round, but it takes a good four or five wins to get there and that is a real challenge for any club and it’s a new experience for me.
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“I wanted to get there with South Shields and I’ve been lucky enough to get there into later rounds and play against some massive players at massive clubs in this competition. When you’re in non-league, the chance to play these players and clubs doesn’t come around too often so you have to grasp the opportunity when it’s in front of you.
“For some of the lads in our dressing room, Saturday will be the biggest game of their careers so far and it’s a chance to prove themselves. We all want to to take that.”
Liddle was open and honest about the challenge that lies in wait. Despite their obvious struggles in League One, Forest Green still ply their trade four levels higher than the Mariners and have played with significant experience in the Football League.
Liddle believes the game will be ‘tough all over the pitch’ and called on his team-mates to be at their very best as they look to write their names into Mariners folklore in front of a club record crowd at the 1st Cloud Arena.
“Eight times out of ten, we shouldn’t win this game,” he explained. “It’s tier three against tier seven, and that’s the equivalent of Premier League against National League. That’s a big gap no matter what level you are at.
“By no means will it be an easy game, it’s going to be tough all over the pitch and every single one of our players will have to bring their ‘A’ game and hopefully we can get a little bit of luck that can see us over the line.”
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