FA Cup giantkillers Cray Wanderers are on the “other” Road to Wembley this weekend as after deservedly dumping Maidstone United out of the Cup on Tuesday, Tim O’Shea’s side this weekend are on the “other” route to the national stadium as they head to Cheshunt in the FA Trophy. 

Tuesday’s win at the Gallagher courtesy of goals from Ola Ogunwamide and Ade Yussuf saw Cray dump the Stones out and sets O’Shea’s side into the weekend with confidence; confidence that was still very much in evidence when we caught up with the Wands boss. 

O’Shea told us, “It was an amazing night! There’s a few around the Club who have been here a while that have said it was possibly one of the best nights in the Club’s incredible history, so I will take that!”

“It certainly was an enjoyable win, but more importantly, I think it was a deserved one.” 

“They were two very even games of football with both sides having periods within the games, but I think that we probably, over the course of the two games, had the majority of the chances and even some of the Maidstone fans admitted that we probably deserved progress over the two games.” 

“When the draw came out and you saw us playing the highest ranked team in it as they were top of National South, and that’s after we drew an away fixture in the previous round away to the third team in our league in Lewes, you do think that the draws could be kinder.”

“After draws like that, you do question if you’re going to have a Cup run but having won both we’re all now for trying to stay in as long as we can, but whatever, the League is most important, any manager will tell you that.”

“Cups are nice for the fans and obviously some nice money for the Club, but my bread-and-butter will always be the League.” 

“After all that, we are now back on the road again on Saturday in the Trophy going to Cheshunt – it’s almost as though we can’t get our heads above water at the moment as it’s tough game after tough game but that’s how I presume, if you want to be a successful side, that’s how things are all the time with every game viewed like that.” 

“Cheshunt is going to be a really tough game – we have played them already in the League at Flamingo Park and drew 0-0, so we know that they are a touch side to play against, but it’s all well being on a massive high after beating Maidstone if we are not focused going to the next game and equally we want to get as far as we can in the Trophy as let’s face it, we are not going to win the Cup, but the Trophy? Who knows…”