It’s FA Cup weekend for many of our teams this weekend, and one of the most intriguing ties will take place at the Steve Cook Stadium where newly promoted Punjab United entertain SE Dons in the Preliminary Round.

We’ve been speaking to Punjab boss Chipie Sian about the tie, but we started by talking about the club’s opening forays into life in the Isthmian League and Tuesday’s 2-2 draw at Cray Valley where both sides scored after the ninety-minute mark.

“It’s been a good start for us in the Isthmian League,” he said. “I always said that we would respect every club in the division and that’s what we are doing, but we won’t fear anyone. I think if we can get it right, and the squad’s still a little bit light but it will come in time, I think we’ve done really, really well!”

“Tuesday night summed it up well; we just don’t give up in games, it’s never over and we just keep playing as we did last year and I think these teams will have to learn that we don’t give up!

“It was a crazy finish, and I thought 1-1 was going to be alright despite the fact first half we weren’t up for it and I wasn’t happy at all! Second half I think we took the game to them and scored in the first few minutes of the half. There was nothing in the game at all – we made one really poor mistake towards the end, but we went up the other end and got the goal back.”

“That’s the Punjab of old, from last year – we love a late goal we really do, and I thought we were good!”

“It summed up how tight the league is going to be; it’s going to be entertaining, and teams are going to beat each other. I don’t think there is a clear favourite and once we get our heads round things a bit more as the weeks go on. The league is going to be very competitive week in week out.”

Turning to the weekend and the FA Cup, the Punjab boss told us, “I like SE Dons, and we know them quite well now and they will bring something very special on Saturday. A good crowd who are entertaining and they are a good side and what they did last year in winning promotion to SCEFL Premier… fair play to them. We can respect that as it’s the same path that we followed, Sunday football into Saturday football and now Step Five.”

“It’s going to be amazing two clubs like ours playing each other in the cup – I know that it’s going to be a really tough game and we are looking forward to it. We want to get through, of course we do, but we will have to be at our best to get through!”

“There are no favourites in the FA Cup,” he went on, “I don’t care what anyone says. It’s all about what happens on the day; every FA Cup game for me is fifty/fifty as every team is going to be up for it on the day.

“They will look at us and want to beat a promoted side from last year and we look at them and think almost the same and respect them too. I think it will be end-to-end and entertaining, and I just hope that come five o’clock, we’ll be in Monday’s draw!”