Mark: "They will be focused on Saturday - not the FA Cup"
Mark Yates expects opponents Dagenham & Redbridge to be fully focused on their quest for League 2 points when they visit the Checkatrade Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
Four days later the Daggers will be back in Sussex to face Whitehawk in an FA Cup replay – with the massive incentive of a lucrative third round trip to Premier League Everton for the winners.
Speaking ahead of the game, Mark said: “I would imagine (Dagenham manager) Wayne Burnett and his players are exactly the same as us – thinking about the next 90 minutes and nothing else. Any team in this division who doesn’t do that and takes their eye off the ball by looking beyond the next game is going to get punished.
“Obviously the replay is a big game for Dagenham with what’s at stake but they will look at Saturday as a way of getting a result against us and going into Whitehawk with a lot of confidence.
“All we can do is worry about ourselves. It’s been a long two weeks since our last game at Carlisle and we’ve taken the opportunity of the break last week to do some good physical work with the players – almost like a mini pre-season – and they are raring to go on Saturday.”
Reds will have to make one change on Saturday as midfielder Simon Walton is suspended for one match.
Mark added: “It will give someone an opportunity. Players like Ross Jenkins and Luke Rooney have been desperate to start a game and show what they can do. It’s good as a manager to have those quality alternatives.”
RELATED STORIES
Under-18 tickets are free with any ticket purchased on Saturday.
Dagenham ticket prices.